The Link
by Nicole0
Summary: P3XP4 The events of Persona 3 are unfolding at the same time as Persona 4. Kasumi, Naoto's sister, is the link that connects two worlds. SoujixNaoto, MinatoxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Persona Series. That would be Atlus. I only own any original characters and scenes that may appear.**

Chapter 1

_Discomfort _

That was the first thing my sluggish mind processed as I slowly came to consciousness. Why was I sleeping on such an uncomfortable bed when I had a queen-sized feather bed in my bedroom? Why did my pillow feel like a freaking brick? Why were my blankets so scratchy, and why the hell was it so hot in here? Our air-conditioner wasn't broken, was it? This most certainly didn't feel like my Grandfather's house.

I opened my eyes, hoping to get an answer to some of these questions…

And sighed.

_Of course_ it had been a dream. I was staring at the familiar cracked ceiling of my house of three years. I'd recognize the peeling yellow paint, creaky wood doors and poop brown carpets anywhere. I had only been dreaming of my comfortable life in _that town. _ It was, I will admit, an abnormality for me to dream of that place. It had been my own decision that prompted me to leave there and come to Port Island. I had no regrets… Right? Well, apparently, my subconscious mind thought otherwise.

Not feeling like getting into an argument with myself, (Unfortunately, a regular occurrence with me) I climbed shakily out of my couch/bed and crossed to the bathroom. My house consisted of three rooms. My bedroom doubled as a living room, and was the biggest room in the house. Connected to that was the kitchen and bathroom. I paid for it with my… less than legal business.

Stray thoughts aside, I regarded my reflection in the mirror cynically. My almost violet hued hair flopped in choppy layers to my shoulders. I pulled it into a loose low ponytail, at the same time acknowledging that my sister, too, had an odd hair color, though hers leaned toward the blue side. Our slight frames, and an almost alike hair color was where all similarities ended between us. I sighed. So much separated us, my sister and I.

I splashed icy water on my face, trying to wash away the thoughts that had taken hold of me.  
><em>Is my thought process always this disjointed? <em>I mused. _No, it must be the lack of nice, deep, sleep. I really hate dreaming. _

Brushing my teeth, I turned away from the cracked mirror to the suitcase that served as a wardrobe. Since I only had an illegal business and a meager minimum wage job to live off of, I had only been able to buy so much. The suitcase I had packed three years ago had remained my storage unit.  
>I dug around for a moment, choosing pants over a skirt, purely because it was much easier to work your ass off and ride a motorcycle in jeans. I completed my look with a black button-down top.<p>

Bathroom business complete, I headed into the adjoining kitchen, yanking my laptop off of its charger as I went. I plopped down in the rickety chair and cracked open the Mac. While that was booting up, I went on an epic adventure in search of the mystical and fabled _decent food. _When I came up empty handed, I was forced to settle with dry cereal and a cup of lukewarm water.

_My bathroom is only capable of giving me cold water, and my kitchen faucet only spews warm water. _I thought, rather amused, as I cracked through the pass codes that protected my computer and accessed my email.

I groaned. Another student at Gekkoukan High wanted me to fix his grades.

_Don't they realize how hard that is to do and not get caught? If I'm found out, I'll either be sent to Juvenile Detention, or forced to attend school…_ I shuddered at the thought. Ever since I'd left my Grandfather's home, I had not even stepped foot into a learning institution, despite being sixteen, nor did I plan to.

I typed back a quick reply.

"_Kenji Tomochika, eh? _

_You want me to change your failing grades to A's and B's, is that it? And this is all to impress a girl? Is she a pretty girl? I hope she is, because I'm pulling this crap for you two. I can do it, but depending on how many failing grades you have, the cost is going to be steep. 7,788 Yen per F I change. That's approximately 100 US dollars.  
>Actually… Hmm… I think I'm being rather cheep. Well, you can pay me by sending the cash to this address -"<em>

I typed my address and frowned, thinking.

"_Best of luck to you and your girlfriend. Oh, by the way, since I'm going to have access to all the school's information, don't blame me if something… amusing happens. Since you're the one who asked me to do this, the responsibility is on your shoulders. Ain't I just a little stinker? ;) _

_~Kasumi S."_

No body else had asked for my assistance, so I shut the computer and finished my mediocre breakfast. _Perhaps mediocre is not the best term there. That implies that it was average, and I'm positive that is not the average choice of food for most Japanese… _ Bad Kasumi. Stop over-analyzing every aspect of your life.

I shoved the laptop into a messenger bag, slung that over my shoulder, pulled on a black leather riding jacket, and tucked my helmet under my arm. Stepping out onto the porch in a jacket in the middle of summer was like stepping into an oven, but I didn't complain. Road rash is a bitch. I sat comfortably on the motorcycle waiting for me and typed in the password that would start the engine. My own design, of course. It was a lot more convenient than a key, and no one could steal it. The helmet went onto my head next, the visor slipping over my eyes, and I was off, peeling down the street toward the mall.

A quick check of my watch told me I had a right to be in a hurry – I was running late.

The asphalt blurred beneath my feet, and the buildings on either side of me seemed no more than streaks of light and dark. "Dammit, Dammit, Dammit!" I swore into the wind. Stupid messing with a high school student and analyzing my breakfast! Stupid dreams of a life I'd left behind! I couldn't afford to lose this job!

Suddenly, two men stepped into the road directly in front of me. I gasped and pulled the breaks, turning the handlebars. The result was one of those skids you see in the movies where the protagonist avoids ramming into something at the last second. If anyone but myself had been riding, the men would've quickly become road kill.

"Heeeey, dude! Ch-Check it out!" One guy slurred, in an obviously intoxicated voice.

The other goon approached me and proceeded to rip off my helmet.

"Hey!" I protested.

"Dude… She's a chick, dude." The guy gasped.

_Wasted at 10:30 in the morning… That's pathetic. Wait, 10:30? Dammit all, I'm late! _

"Gentlemen, I'd love to stay and talk…" I hissed dangerously, reaching out and snatching my helmet back. I rammed it on my head with one hand, while I put the motorcycle in gear with the other one. "…But I have a rather important job I'd like to keep, so if you could be so kind as to get out of my way." The men showed no sign of moving, however.

"Seriously…" As I spoke, I gave it a little bit of gas, inching forward a tiny bit. Still they didn't back off. "Get. Out. Of. The. Way!" I then proceeded to race past them at a dizzying speed, headed toward Paulownia Mall.  
><em>Chagall Café… <em>I sighed, parking the cycle outside, leaving my jacket and helmet with it.

Inside, the rich aroma of coffee beans reached me, and I inhaled deeply. It smelled of heaven. My scare with the drunks was forgotten as I relaxed in the familiar environment.

"Hey, Kasumi-chan!" The friendly voice of my coworker, Fuyuki, rang out across the store.

"Hello," I dipped my head and walked up to where he was leaning on the counter. As we spoke, I tied my work apron around my waste. "What's up?"

"Well, I had your coffee ready, but since you showed up late, I was forced to drink it." Fuyuki joked.

"You little liar. You know better than to drink my morning cup of coffee." Oh god, without my coffee, I was the devil, I swear.

The young man laughed, running his hand through his brown hair. "You got me. You're too smart for your own good." He slid the cup he had concealed behind his back toward me. I picked it up and breathed the scent. "You know, I never got it. You only get one cup per day. Why not save it to have at your break, like normal people do?"

"Do you want to see me in the morning without my coffee?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yikes… Forget I asked."

I snickered. It promised to be an entertaining day.

* * *

><p>To be honest, it wasn't until three o'clock that anything of note happened. The rest of the day, I'd just been waiting tables as usual.<p>

However, around the time the high school got out, I heard the distinctive rumble of a motorcycle, and groaned. That sound usually meant some bonehead gang member or something along those lines was about to barge in and cause a commotion.

I got a surprise, however, when the redhead entered, and sat down quietly at a deserted table.

"Kirijo-san," I said politely, bowing my head. We didn't really know each other, but she had come here once before, claiming that she wanted to 'broaden her tastes,' or something like that. We had been able to talk easily with one another about riding, and other topics we shared an interest on. Despite the fact that I 'was older than her,' she treated me like she was my Senpai. I hadn't expected her to return here.

"Ah… Shirogane, was it?"

"That's me. What can I get for you today?"

Mitsuru frowned, regarding the menu with interest. "I think I'll try this place's signature coffee." That wasn't what I was expecting, but I respected the customer's wishes. I made her a cup and brought it back to her.

"You seem tired." I remarked, recalling my boss's words to 'make conversation.' "If you don't mind me asking, is there something bothering you?"

"…Hm? Oh no, not really. I suppose you could say school, Student Council, and other club activities have put me under a good deal of stress. Thank you for your concern, Shirogane."

"No problem. People always tell me that snooping is my specialty."

Mitsuru gave a small chuckle. "Have you ever considered a job as a detective?"

My smile melted off of my face as fast as it had appeared. "People have told me that, too." Surely she'd heard of the Shirogane family? I silently prayed that she wouldn't make the connection. It was not an aspect of myself I liked dwelling on.

A look of understanding crossed her face for a fraction of a second, but I cut her off before she could say anything. "I'll leave you to your coffee. Let me know if you need anything." I quickly scurried off into the back, sighing.

After a while, Mitsuru paid and left the café. It was another thirty minutes before anything else worth mentioning happened.

The splash of blue out of the corner of my eye first got my attention. I looked up sharply from the table I was cleaning.

_Could it really be…? _No, of course not. The blue haired boy, whom at first glance I had mistaken for my sister, sat down in a table tucked into the corner. He had silver clip-on headphones covering his ears, and unfamiliar music leaked out of them.

_Hmm… the headphones, coupled with the hairstyle that covers one eye, and the place he chose to sit can only lead me to believe he likes to avoid people… _ _Stop it! You're not being paid to analyze the customer, just take their order! …Old habits die hard, I suppose. _

"Hello," I approached the boy. "May I take your order?" Without looking up from the table, he replied,

"Coffee."

"Um, sure." I frowned and fetched the drink. "Uh…" _Conversation, dammit! _"Y-ya know, my sister has hair the same color as yours…"

"…" Still, he didn't look up.

"All right, all right. I can see when I'm not wanted." I started to back up. "_Make conversation, he says…" _I hadn't realized I had muttered that out loud.

Without warning, the boy reached out and grabbed my wrist, preventing me from going any further. He finally turned to face me, his gray eyes boring into my green ones. I hated that my heartbeat quickened so much.

The boy spoke one word. "Sugar."

"Huh? Oh, right," I caught a glimpse of the empty sugar dispenser. "You need sugar." _Stop blushing! _I wrenched my wrist from his grasp, ducking into the kitchen to get more sugar for the strange blue haired boy.

* * *

><p>My shift finally ended at 11:55 that night.<p>

"Thanks for staying overtime, Shirogane." My boss, a plump, balding man, said. "I'll make sure you get paid extra for that."  
>"Oh, thanks." I sighed, barely able to keep my eyes open.<p>

"Be safe on your way home." The guy treated me like I was his daughter. I had told him I was eighteen in order to get the job. I realize I was two years younger in actuality, but he seemed convinced I was twelve.

"I know the drill, Sir."

"Good, you watch yourself. There are some real weirdos wandering about out there."

I ducked out of the shop as he started his 'Reforming the Country' spiel, boarded my cycle, and took off down the street. Due to my exhausted state, I made sure to go slowly. I had hoped to get home before midnight, but I doubted that would happen.  
>I swerved to avoid one of the Lost, who was milling around in the middle of the road, and kept going.<br>_Where are the cars? It's almost eerie out here…_ Despite the heat, I shivered.

From somewhere far away, I heard a bell toll, signifying that it was now midnight.

Suddenly, my cycle ran through something suspiciously red looking, causing the thick liquid to splash up on my pants. Just as I was turning to investigate, my engine died, sending me tumbling off my ride, skidding through another puddle of red ooze. Looking at it closely, it was unmistakably blood. I got shakily to my feet and glanced around.

It was as if I'd stepped into another world. The moon looked giant above my head, and cast an unnatural green light. Where once there had been a few pedestrians now stood a cluster of coffins, but that wasn't all.

Above me, on the horizon of the manmade Port Island, rose a gigantic tower, stretching high into the sky, taller than any other building.

_That hasn't always been there… _I stared frantically around, hoping for some sort of explanation. When I found none, I started to panic.

_Where the hell am I?_

**~~~A/N~~~ **

**First off, if you actually bothered to read all the way down to the Author's Note, you get a cookie. Except not really, because I have no cookie. **

**This is my first ever fan-fiction, and constructive criticism is more than welcome. However, flat-out criticism is not. If you don't like it, let me know how I can improve it. **

**About mentioning Kenji up there… I couldn't resist. **

**I'm horrified Kasumi will come off as a Marysue. I'll work on that. **

**And, I hate how the Dark Hour comes on so abruptly. I swear, the mood changes with an audible clunk. I tried my best to change it**

**Yeah, please let me know what you think by clicking that review button down there. I'd love that. **

**Thank you for reading this crap, you're awesome, whoever you are. **


	2. Chapter 2

**~~Author's Note~~**

**I should add this… It is June 16****th**** the day this takes place. Fuuka's been in SEES only a few days, and Kanji's been saved. Rise has yet to disappear. Yeah, that works. **

**Oh, and here's your favorite Messianic Archetype here to do the disclaimer. **

**Minato****: …**

**Any time now.**

**Minato: ****… **

****Steals headphones****

**Minato: ****GRRR! Nicole doesn't own Persona! **

**Good boy. Here you go. **Tosses headphones back****

Chapter 2

_A- Am I going crazy…? _I shook my head. _Did I open a door to another dimension? Did I die and go to Hell? Grandpa always did say my hacking would catch up to me. _Random and disjointed thoughts flowed around my head like a swarm of angry bees. I squeezed my eyes shut and cradled my head in my hand. My breathing quickened until it could have probably been considered hyperventilating.

_What the hell is going on here? _Tears flowing down my cheeks shocked me out of my stupor. _No, none of that. You're stronger than that, Kasumi. _ I forced myself to take a deep breath; reminding me of times I'd tell my sister to calm down and breathe. Assessing the situation, I decided I was most likely not dead, and the probability of entering another dimension was slim to none. On the crazy front, however, I couldn't be sure.

_Right, the first thing to do is get off this street. But, where should I go? _Again, the giant tower in the distance drew my eye. There, maybe? It seemed to be the center of this strange version of my town. I figured the odds of finding someone would be higher there, and finding someone would be high up on my list to find out if I was crazy or not. Having a plan helped calm my still frayed nerves. I took my helmet off my head, and then shed my riding-jacket. I stored the jacket in my bag, checking to make sure my computer was still in one piece. It hadn't sustained any noticeable damage. I lifted the heavy motorcycle upright again.

_Time to start pushing. _I didn't know how long I'd have to hike to reach that tower, but it seemed it was in the area of Gekkoukan High. That wasn't too terribly far away, within walking distance, at least. I passed more creepy coffins just standing there. A little voice in my head wanted me to crack one open and see what was inside, but common sense ruled out that whim.

"…Hello?" I called as I walked, wondering if someone else might be awake around here. No one answered.

"God damn it. What's going on?"

Time seemed to flow differently, so I didn't have a solid grasp on how long I'd spent walking. Finally, I reached that mysterious tower.

_Huh? This is… _"This is where Gekkoukan should be. Is this tower… the High School?"

It rose higher than any building I'd ever seen, looking like if I stood on the top, I'd be able reach out and pluck the moon from the sky. Not only was it tall, but also it wasn't built like your typical building, and I didn't think any sort of architect would be able to replicate the spazzmatic and impossible construction. The tower itself seemed to glow. It practically oozed maliciousness.

I hesitantly propped my motorcycle against the gate, leaving it there. It's not like there was anyone there to steal it… Unless a vampire popped out of one of those coffins, cracked my pass code, and rode off into the night.

_Haha… Vampires… What was that one book Naoto told me not to read because it was 'an insult to literature and decent authors everywhere?' Daylight? Sunset? _The trail of thought my mind had taken shocked me. Was I just dissolving into hysterics, or was I seriously contemplating vampires at a time like this?

Shaking away the random, disjointed thoughts, I pushed open the huge gate and entered the foyer. Inside, it was huge. It could easily _eat _my tiny house. In the center of the room rose a giant staircase leading to a clock-shaped door.

"Hello…? Anyone home?" The only reply I got was the echo of my own nervous voice. Even in the absolute emptiness, I couldn't shake the feeling of thousands of eyes watching me, scorching my skin with only their gazes.

I started to head for the staircase, the only place it seemed I _could _go, when a soft green glow among the black dragged my attention to a remote corner near the entrance. The device I saw… It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. A shining green platform supported a gold arch.

I nimbly jumped down the two steps I had climbed to go investigate. Clumsy me then proceeded to rear her ugly head and screw me over, something she had a horrible habit of doing. I tripped over air and fell towards the strange device. My hands flew out to catch myself, wrapping around the only thing they could – the golden arch. Before I could entirely process what had happened, a green aura covered my vision, my stomach flipped inside out, and I was sent skidding across a puddle of blood for the second time that night.

_Okay… Oww! _I pushed myself into a sitting position, brushing my now sticky hair out of my face. The violet combined with the red made a strange combination.

My gaze raked the corridor I had found myself in. It was different than the entrance hall I had been in moments before, yet at the same time dripped the same evil atmosphere. Also, there was the ever-constant feeling of being watched. If that feeling weren't enough, every few feet, a giant face protruded from the wall.

I shakily traversed this floor of the tower, finding nothing of interest, besides another staircase, and decided to go higher.

I will forever regret that decision.

* * *

><p>The teenagers worked their way across the transmogrified city. Their destination? The Tower of Demise – Tartarus. Each carried some assortment of deadly weapons, and at each one's hip was the unmistakable silver gleam of a gun.<p>

"Ugh, Stupei!" The brunette complained. "Look, we're late. We were supposed to meet at midnight, but because of your stupid stunt, look what time it is now!"

The boy she was yelling at, who was wearing a blue baseball cap, replied. "Hey, hey, hey! I said I was sorry! Geez, what more do you want? An- and stop callin' me 'Stupei!'"

"Oh quit whining… Stupei…"  
>"Hey! Minato!" Stupei turned to the blue haired boy. He didn't look up. "Yo, don't you think she should stop callin' me that?"<p>

"…" The boy was silent for a moment, then a tiny, but still present smirk turned up his lips. "…Stupei."

"Whaaat? Oh, man! That's harsh, dude!" The brunette girl laughed, and even the other, shy second year cracked a smile.

"Takeba, Iori, Arisato, please don't forget that you're currently in the midst of the Dark Hour." The redhead spoke up. "You too, Yamagishi. You haven't been here for long, but you need to remember that it's dangerous here."

"Oh, um, Y-Yes, Mitsuru-senpai." Fuuka said with a nervous bow. This was only her third expedition into Tartarus.

As they neared the Tower, all chatter ceased.

"Hey, what's that?" Takeba pointed towards the gate, where a large motorcycle leaned against the metal. "What's something like that doing here?"

Mitsuru frowned. "Nothing electronic works at _this_ time of night…"  
>"Does that mean…" A silver-haired boy started, "There's someone inside Tartarus?"<p>

Junpei shook his head. "C'mon, Akihiko-senpai! You worry too much! Some guy was probably just driving by when the Dark Hour hit! Heh… Right?"

Minato shook his head. Something was bothering the boy about the scene, and that was the lack of Transmogrified biker. "Where's the coffin?" He asked simply.

Mitsuru nodded. "He's right, if that were the case, Iori, then a coffin would be present nearby…" The redhead also had something on her mind. _Where have I seen this bike before…?_

"Um… If there is someone here, I'll be able to sense them, wouldn't I?" Fuuka stated.

"Fuuka's right." Yukari agreed. "We should go inside."

"Right, come on, Mitsuru." Akihiko prompted the girl into motion and together, the group of teens entered the Tower.

"I don't see anyone here…" Yukari stated. "Does that mean they've gone higher up?"

"Just a moment, please." Yamagishi requested. She pulled out her gun, putting the cold metal to her temple. Nobody found this sight of a girl about to shoot herself in the head strange.

"Lucia!" She whispered as she pulled the trigger." At once, there was the sound of shattering glass as a glittering figure of a woman appeared around her. The dress of the woman formed a dome around the girl.

"I definitely sense someone here…" She stated. "Give me a minute and I'll tell you exactly where…"

Everyone exchanged nervous glances.

"There! The person's really high up… and there are Shadows everywhere! We have to help them!"

"Right, Arisato, you take the lead like always!" Mitsuru ordered.

Minato nodded and called for Yukari, Akihiko, and the Kirijo to join him. The blue-haired boy clutched his short sword tightly, running toward the teleporter. His party followed, being sent to a floor high up in the Tower.

* * *

><p>I watched in horror as all around me, dark blobs emerged from the shadows and surrounded me. A strangled sob escaped my mouth. I spun around to go back downstairs to the safe floor, only to find the staircase had disappeared.<p>

"Oh what the crap!" I wailed, turning back to face the glowing red eyes of the monsters, only to find the blobs were forming different shapes. Some of the stranger ones were snakes that twirled around male and female symbols, overly buff men wearing only Speedos and weird cupid thing that fluttered to and fro.

I blinked, trying to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. Apparently, they weren't.

I shoved my way through the crowd of monsters and headed down a random corridor. This served not only to get me hopelessly lost, but also put me in a dead end, with no choice but to turn and face the monsters slithering, stalking, and flying towards me.

_Oh God… Why did I go into this stupid tower in the first place? Now I'm going to die without ever getting to do anything with my life. I'm never going to get to see Nao again, or Grandpa. I- I'm nev- I'm never- _It was then that I realized I was crying. No, not crying, I was sobbing, tears flowing freely down my face, but this time, I did nothing to stop them.

Suddenly, one of the body builder monsters struck me in the gut with his fist. I crashed painfully into the wall. Before I could recover, I received a painful blast of wind to the face, which succeeded in reuniting my bruised back and the wall.

_Wait, wind? Okaaaay, so they're monsters that use magic. Why am I surprised? _

A bubble of hysterical laugher broke from my lips despite my tears, along with a splattering of blood. A small, rational part of my brain knew that I should get a hold of myself. Did I mention that it was a very small part of my brain? That voice of reason was overcome by my panic and I laughed again.

"_Why are you laughing, Kas?"  
>"Because it's <em>funny!_" _

"_In what way does your getting beat up by those guys strike you as amusing?"  
>"Ahaha! Oh wow, Nao! You really sounded like an old man there for a second! Look, it's just funny because I was just complaining yesterday that nothing entertaining happens to me and now something actually happens to me! It's just the irony!" <em>

"_I didn't think getting punched in the face would be something that would be entertaining to you. Come on, Kasumi. Snap out of it. _

_Snap out of it._

_SNAP OUT OF IT!" _

Burning pain in my right shoulder brought me home from memory lane. One of those weird snake things had actually bitten me. Numbly, I brought my left hand up against it to stop the blood-flow. And then I realized –

There was nothing funny about what was occurring.

The pain was all encompassing, and any traces of hysterical laugher that may have remained with me disappeared, leaving only the tears that had started flowing before.

I screamed.

* * *

><p>"Did you hear that?" Akihiko asked.<p>

"Yeah, it sounded like someone screamed…" Yukari trailed off. "We have to find that person!"  
>"…Mm." That was all Minato had to say in response, but that was to be expected. The day he said a sentence longer than six or seven words was the day he gave his headphones up and started paying attention in class.<p>

"Everyone!" Fuuka's voice floated through the air. "The human is on the next floor, but the Shadows have begun to attack! You have to hurry!"

"Right, we understand. Thank you, Yamagishi. Arisato, _let's go!_" Mitsuru didn't mean to snap at Minato, but something about that bike they found and the owner still nagged on her conscious. She had a sinking suspicion of who might be locked up here.

"Okay." The four high school students dashed down the hallway and up the stairs.

"There are way more Shadows on this floor than normal." Fuuka informed everybody. "They all seem centered around the area to your left."  
>"Then that must be where the person we're looking for is." Akihiko reached the same conclusion Fuuka had.<p>

"Then there's no time to waste!" The Kirijo heiress snapped.

"Let's go." The boy with the blue hair nodded. He led them forward, following the ever increasing sounds of a girl crying.

As they arrived, the sight they saw shocked all of them and they let out a cumulative gasp.

A girl with strange violet hair was slumped against the wall, clutching her bleeding shoulders as again and again the Shadows attacked her. Tears were leaking out of her green eyes, and a bruise had already begun forming on her cheek.

"Ge-Get b-b-back **Hic** Go to- Go to hell!" Even in her state, she managed to kick out at one of the Lustful Snakes that had attempted to attack her again.

"Shirogane?" Mitsuru gasped. Minato let out a small noise or recognition as he identified the waitress from Chagall earlier that day.

Akihiko was the first to react after seeing the girl, 'Shirogane.' He proceeded to strike a Gigas multiple times in the back, causing the Shadow to dissolve.

* * *

><p>I blinked when one of the body builder monsters dissolved into a red and black cloud before my eyes. Standing behind where it used to be was a boy with silver hair, fists raised and adorned with brass knuckles.<p>

"Um… Thanks." It was embarrassing for someone, especially a complete stranger, to see me cry. I wiped my eyes to get rid of the stinging. There was no need to cry anymore; I was saved.

Before I could get too happy, another cupid fired an arrow my way. I scrambled to the side desperately, so the arrow of death cracked the stone where my head had been. In retaliation, a girl with brown hair raised a bow of her own and shot the offending creature. Then, two more people, joined the fight. With a jolt, I recognized them as Kirijo-san and the blue haired boy from work.

"Can you stand?" The boy offered me his hand, gray eyes revealing no emotion.

"Y-yeah." I took it and he pulled me to his feet. A traitorous blush tainted my cheeks slightly pink. I imagined it looked really dumb with my bruised face.  
>"Stay behind me." He ordered. I realized with half a laugh that he had said more to me here in this God-forsaken tower than he had when I took his order. He then pulled out a gun.<p>

"How did you-" I started to ask when the boy twirled it around his fingers like a show-off, then proceeded point it at his head.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait! I know the situation is bleak, but is suicide _really _the answer here?" He just turned his head slightly to smirk at me, the only emotion I'd seen on his face yet.

Ironically, it was a monster that, in my eyes, saved the boy. Before he could pull the trigger, he was blasted back by a jet of fire. He skidded to the ground where he lay stunned. The gun skidded to a stop by my feet. Hesitantly, I picked it up and pointed it at one of the monsters. Firing, I soon discovered that this gun didn't fire bullets. In fact, nothing came out of the barrel.

Suddenly, a realization hit me – The boy hadn't been trying to commit suicide. I had no basis for such an assumption, other than the fact that nothing came out of the gun when I tried shooting it. I could hear my sister's scathing voice as I put the illegal device to my temple

"_Don't be so reckless! Are you really going to risk your life all on the assumption that the gun isn't loaded? Maybe it was just a misfire!" _Or maybe those were my own inner thoughts, and I just gave them Nao's voice to make myself feel less crazy. Either way, I couldn't back down. The blue haired boy was still struggling to stand. Well, so was I, but I hadn't just taken a blast of fire to the face.

My heartbeat drowned out all noise of the battle taking place in front of me. My hand trembled as my finger found the trigger.

_Thou art I… And I am thou… _

I shut my eyes… and pulled the trigger.

The sound of shattering glass rang out as bits of light floated around me as a voice in my head spoke, louder than before.

_Thou art I… And I am thou…_

* * *

><p>"Shirogane!" Mitsuru gasped as the girl fired the Evoker. Kasumi's eyes glowed eerily and a smile crept up her face with the realization that she wasn't, in fact, dead, and had her brains had not gone flying across the floor. Yukari was reminded of Minato's awakening and shot a glance at the boy. Arisato was still sprawled on the floor, watching with barely present shock on his face. A shadowy shape appeared above the violet haired girl. It slowly became more distinct.<p>

A woman with long, braided brown hair floated above the girl's head. The Persona wore a brown cloak with the hood pulled up, and for eyes it had glowing gold orbs. In it's hand was a kettle, which seemed odd.

"A Persona-user?"

"Oh, wow!"  
>"…Hm."<p>

"Hestia!" Kasumi shouted the name of her Persona as lightning struck ever single Shadow present. The force of the blast destroyed the Shadows weak to Zio skills, while wounding the others. The SEES members rushed in to finish the battle. Kasumi, on the other hand, fell to the ground, the Awakening of her Persona using every last bit of her strength. Everyone gathered around the soon-to-be unconscious girl.

"Is everyone okay?" Fuuka asked.

"We're all fine, but Shirogane is hurt pretty badly." Mitsuru informed her.

"Shirogane, is that her name?" Yukari asked. "Another Persona-user, right after we found Fuuka, huh?"

"We should get her out of here." Minato surprised everyone by speaking up. He bent down to pick up the quickly weakening Kasumi.

"I 'an walk…" She started to protest when the Arisato picked her up bridal style.

"Hey…" Kasumi summoned ever last ounce of energy she had left to mutter one last sentence. "Those monsters owe me a new laptop…"

**~~Author's Note~~ **

**ANNNNND Scene. This chapter, especially Kasumi's awakening just did not want to be written. I couldn't find a way to write the whole first appearance of her Persona thing in 1****st**** person, so I switched to SEES's perspective. After that, added the other 3****rd**** person scenes. I'm still not happy with the result, but hey. And thanks to anyone who's read this so far, and the favorite and review I've gotten. They make me smile like an idiot, really. Feel free to criticize. Also, sorry if I portrayed the block of Tartarus, or any of the Shadows wrong. I tried to remember their names and failed miserable. **

**For anyone who knows Greek mythology, you know Hestia is the goddess of Hearth and Home, older (and younger) sister of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. I chose her for symbolic reasons. Kasumi's left her 'home' and is Naoto's older sister. Yeah. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:  
><strong>**Naoto: **** Nicole doesn't own the Persona series. She'll tell you differently, but don't believe her.**

**Nicole:**** I may not own Persona now, but it's on my Christmas list. Santa's gonna buy me Atlus!**

**Naoto: **** To be polite, I'll ignore your bad grammar and simply point out that you asked for Atlus for your birthday Tuesday, and Christmas last year. You still don't own Persona. Oh, and Santa doesn't exist. **

**Nicole: ****No, but I do have Minako's headphones and **_**your**_** hat. So there! **

**Naoto: ****You stole my hat…**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3<p>

The steady beeping of the heart monitor was what eventually woke me. I groggily opened my eyes, only to instantly close them again as I was assaulted with bright white lights. I reached for the comfort of my shag blanket to feel my hands brush against crisp, thin sheets.

"Ugh…" I moaned.

"Hey, Mitsuru, I think she's awake."

Who was that? The voice didn't sound familiar, but I recognized the name 'Mitsuru.'

"Shirogane, can you hear me?"

"Five more minutes, Naoto… Go be a detective somewhere else…" I mumbled, remembering fondly the times I spent with my sister at Grandpa's house.

"Yeah, she's awake. And you're sure the doctors said she didn't have brain damage?" The mystery voice asked.

"Pretty sure…"

An idea popped into my head. Without opening my eyes, I called out. "Nao! There's a chicken in my room, and it's wearing your hat!"

I could see in my minds eye the two exchanging worried looks. I opened one eye and grinned slyly. "Just kidding."

In front of me were Mitsuru Kirijo and an unfamiliar boy with silver hair and worried brown eyes.

"Good, you're awake." Mitsuru was the first to speak. "And just to clarify, there are no chickens running around, are there?"

Shaking my head, I smiled. "No, I just like to mess with people."

"I see…" She seemed on the verge of saying something else, but I interrupted.

"Is there any chance that everything that happened last night was just a really bad dream? I'm gonna go with no, seeing as I'm in a hospital, an- Oh my God, there's an IV in my arm." The sight of the wire leading from my left forearm was enough to make me sick.

"Um, are you okay?" The boy asked me.

"Ye-yeah, just fine… I just sort of threw up in my mouth there… I have a fear of needles. Hospitals in general, actually." I offered as an explanation to my strange behavior.

"In response to your previous question," The Kirijo piped up, ignoring my distress. "No, the events that took place last night were not a figment of your imagination." Was it just me, or was she being unusually cold to me today? Every other time I've spoken with her, she had always sounded so polite, bordering on kind. Now, her tone held ice.

"Figured. Oh, hey, Mr. Unnaturally white hair. What's your name?"

"Says the girl with purple hair."

"Touché. Answer the question."

"Akihiko Sanada."

"Well, pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sanada-san-kun-thing. I'm bad with honorifics." Even Mitsuru cracked a slight smile.

"Kirijo-san," I spoke politely. My behavior thus far had already made me seem immature, but I had to keep up the pretence that I was eighteen. The last thing I needed was to get arrested for being a truant runaway. "Could you be so kind as to explain everything that happened last night? Was it last night? How long was I asleep?"

"Remarkably, you were only under for a little while. It is currently June 17th at seven o'clock pm. As for what happened, you entered into a hidden hour, known as the Dark Hour-" I interrupted before the explanation could get any weirder.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hidden hour? What'chu talkin' about, Willis?"

Mitsuru and Akihiko exchanged a glance before the redhead continued.

"Hidden as in people are not aware of it. It occurs every night at twelve, midnight. During this time, all normal humans transmogrify into a coffin. Shadows, those monsters, roam during this time, and prey on the minds of those not in a coffin. I.E., The Lost."

"So, these 'Shadows' are responsible for all the incidents on the news?"

"Correct."

"So, where does this 'shoot yourself in the head and scream PERSONA really loudly and with dramatic flair' come in?" I sat up, curiosity instantly piqued.

Akihiko took up the explanation. "There are some, like you, who can function during the Dark Hour. They wield the power you used, known as 'Persona.' It's the only way to combat the Shadows."

I had more questions, loads more, but a nurse in a white uniform chose that moment to enter.

"I hate to interrupt," She said silkily and with barely disguised impatience. "But, I need to see my patient. You'll have to continue this discussion another time."

Mitsuru nodded. "Very well. However, I have one final question for Miss Shirogane." The way she said my name implied I was in a world of trouble.

"Shoot." I said apprehensively.

"Are you aware that living alone and not attending school when underage is highly irresponsible, not to mention, highly illegal?"

Oh, shit.

"Damn it all." I swore. "How'd you find out?"

"When we checked you into the hospital." Akihiko explained. "They had to look up your information and such."

"I knew I should have done something about that. Are you going to arrest me now?"

"No." Mitsuru snapped. "However, I believe arrangements can be made to get you into Gekkoukan High School. Come to this address tomorrow, if you're out of here by then, and we will talk to you more about everything. Let's go, Akihiko." So that explains her foul attitude towards me. I don't want to go to school.

"I can see to my patient now?" The nurse asked when the two seniors had left.

"I'm screwed." I sunk into my pillow.

Nurse lady started her check up, but before she could so much as check my IV, a soft song started playing from somewhere in the bright room.

_Mujihina kotoba dake ga detarame ni machi ni afureteru never more, setsunaku nagareteta koe _

"What's that?" The impatient nurse snapped.

"Um, my phone, I think." I recognized that ringtone, and my heart dropped. What could she _possibly _want_? _

_Nanigenai nichijou ga a~ sayonara wo tsuge bokura no kakegae no nai hi ushinawareteta _

After a few lines, it shut off.

"Anyway-"

_Mujihina kotoba dake ga detarame ni machi ni afureteru never more, setsunaku nagareteta koe _

"Again?" She glared at me. "You shouldn't have your phone on in the hospital."

"Excuse me for being unconscious and failing to turn it off." The third time it rang, I was starting to hate the song.

"If I don't answer it, she'll just call again. She's stubborn like that." The nurse shook her head. "At least let me text her and let her know I'm not dead or something and I'll call her back later."

"Fine." She crossed the room to where my messenger bag was resting in the single chair in the corner. She picked it up by two fingers like it had some sort of infectious disease and brought it over to me. I rooted around, passing over my totally demolished laptop (sob) and jacket, finding my crappy phone miraculously still intact. It wasn't in the best shape, what with the display screen being cracked, and one key missing. It still worked, though. I suppose the jacket cushioned it. My expensive, and invaluable laptop took most of the damage, anyway.

I opened the flip screen to see the little 'missed calls' icon flashing, groaning in despair. You know how they say the most horrifying thing in the world is seeing four missed calls from your mom? Well, I disagree. By far the most terrifying moment of my life was seeing "_Naoto Shirogane, 5." _

"Five times? Five? What could she possibly want?" I grumbled to myself as I keyed in a response.

"_Can't talk now, in hospital. Call back soon. Don't murder the invalid O.o." _

Yes, I text with almost proper grammar. Deal with it.

"Now can I please do my job?"

"Yes, yes you may. Does that job involve removing the needle from my arm?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>June 18<strong>__**th**_

Naoto Shirogane rubbed her temples irritably, trying to make the pain behind her eyes go away. She had been poring over case files for hours without finding a single lead. Most of the police were avoiding her like the plague, she was hungry, frustrated, and on top of that, her sister decided to text her saying she was in the _hospital_. Like she didn't have enough stress to deal with.

She glanced at the digital watch she wore. It proclaimed the time to be six thirty. When would Kasumi call back? Her phone sat on the desk next to her. Naoto had fallen into the habit of jumping any time it rang and checking it every five minutes to see if she had just missed the call.

"Kasumi…" She dropped her head onto the smooth wood. Her voice instinctively dropped into the pitch of a male. "If you haven't died of some rare disease, I swear to god, I will kill you."

_Kaze no koe hikari no tsubu madoromu kimi ni sosogu. Wasurenai yasashii hohoemi kanashisa ni kakushita hitomi wo_

Naoto's head shot up in an instant. She reached for her phone desperately, in her haste sending it sailing across the room.

"Gah!" The sweet, sad song continued playing as the detective scrambled frantically on the floor, trying to reach the sleek phone.

-_Love through all eterni- _ "Hello? Naoto Shirogane speaking?"

"Nao?" Kasumi's voice crackled through the speakers.

"Kasumi? Why didn't you call me back sooner? And what's with this about you being in the hospital?" The detective snapped.

"It's great to hear from you, too. It's been such a long time! Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for asking. Hey, what's with the voice? OH, are you 'Naoto-_kun' _right now?"

"Yes, but that's beside the point. Explain to me why you said you were in the hospital."

"Well… That would be because I was in the hospital." The girl on the line hesitated, as though on the verge of saying more, but unsure if she should.

"Why…?" Naoto asked impatiently. She had returned to her desk and was sitting in the swivel chair once again.

"I… um, I got into a motorcycle accident. I'm fine, though. They released me earlier today." Kasumi added before Naoto could interrupt.

"M-motorcycle?" The two sisters, though not twins, could practically read each other's minds.

_A car speeding down the highway._

_A drunken motorcyclist pulling out in front of them. _

"Nao…? Seriously, Naoto, I'm fine, I just lost control for a minute. There was nothing life threatening… I'm sorry I worried you."

"Ah, bu- Very well, if you say so."

"So, why did you call, anyway? It was a bit out of the blue. I haven't spoken to you in a while." Kasumi seemed desperate to change the subject. Naoto was happy to go along with her.

"Well, we really haven't spoken in a while, and I wanted to see how you were doing…"

"You need help on a case, don't you?" Kasumi saw right through the detective. Normally, the blue haired girl didn't need the aid of her older sister. However, on occasion, a case would creep up that would boggle Naoto's very rational mind, and it would take Kasumi's random and off the wall hunches to help her make connections.

"How did you guess?" She asked dejectedly.

"You never call me. Not even for my birthday."

"Hey- Oh, never mind."

"So, what did you need?"

Naoto took a deep breath and began. "I'm working on the Inaba Murder case-"

"You're doing what now?" Kasumi interrupted.

"Working on the Inaba Murder case?"

"The one where people shown on TV die? Why, you idiot?"

Naoto didn't feel like putting up with Kasumi's occasional over-protective ways. "Well, I don't intend to become famous through the TV, so don't worry. Anyway, I'm glad to see you made that connection, too. I guess you can help."

"Don't take that tone with me." The violet haired girl snapped. "Just tell me what you need help with."

Naoto spun once around the chair and grabbed her handwritten notes.

"You know there have been two murders thus far, Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi, correct?"

"Yeah, but something tells me that wasn't all."  
>Naoto smiled. She could always count on her sister to know something about a case she had no access too.<p>

"That's absolutely right. I'm impressed. After the death of Miss Konishi, Yukiko Amagi and Kanji Tatsumi were also reported missing. However, they returned shortly after."

"Would-be victims?" Kasumi's voice had begun to crack up, as background noise grew louder on the other end.

"That's what I thought. Both Amagi and Tatsumi were the subjects of a good deal of local media attention before they disappeared. The only difference is that they weren't discovered hanging upside down from an antenna. So, my question is – what made that difference?"

"Maybe somebody saved them? Do they remember anything?" Her sister asked, her voice steadily becoming more difficult to hear.

"No, each claimed to remember nothing about the time they had been gone. Nothing useful there." Naoto resumed her previous position of resting her head on her desk. She pulled off her hat and twirled it around her finger.

"However," She said before Kasumi could respond. "There are several other people I need some information on. They seem to always be in the center of the cases. I spotted them tailing Tatsumi at the same time I was investigating him."

"That might seem enough to incriminate them, but you have to consider another possibility. Perhaps they were trying to save the victims."

"Maybe… They're just high school kids, though."

"All the more reason for them to be innocent, or even saviors." Kasumi hesitated. "I know you won't buy that. Just give me their names and I'll see what I can find as soon as I fix my computer."

"You broke your computer? Poor soul…"

"Don't remind me." The girl sounded completely depressed. Her voice, however, had started to become clearer. She must have just moved away from traffic.

Naoto smiled at her sister. Despite their differences, they could always count on each other.

* * *

><p>"Souji Seta, Chie Satonaka, and Yosuke Hanamura." I listened intently as my sister listed the names of her 'suspects.' I was standing outside of the dorm address Mitsuru had given me. I'm sure they were waiting for me, but helping my sister held first priority in my mind. Besides, after the hell I went through, and the fact that they were about to make me go to <strong>shudder<strong> school, I had no problem making them wait for me.

"Satonaka and Hanamura were easy to find out, as they've been here a while, but Seta took some digging. He's a transfer student. Good luck."  
>I chuckled. <em>So… I'm about to investigate three teenagers because my sister thinks they're suspects, and I think they could be something else… My life is a goddamn mess.**<em>

"Okay, I'm gonna have to call you back or something…" I started as I pulled open the heavy wooden doors. "I have to go- HOLY MOTHER OF PIE!" Two apathetic gray eyes blinked at me.

"That was loud…" The blue-haired boy said in a monotone voice.

"Yeah, people tend to scream when you stand right in front of a door, so that when people come to open it, they nearly run into you!"

"Umm, Kasumi…?" Naoto's voice crackled. "Why did you just scream about pie…? Actually, no. I don't think I want to know."

"Sorry, Nao. I'm gonna have to call you back… I just… Yeah, blue haired boys and headphones, and yeah… I'll call you tomorrow or later tonight, 'kay?" I turned my attention back to the phone.

"O…kay? Bye, Kas." There was a click as my sister hung up. I snapped my phone shut and shoved it into my jacket pocket.

"Why…?" I glared at the boy.

He ignored my question. "We're meeting on the fourth floor."

He started to walk away, headed towards a large staircase.  
>"Hey, wait for me!" I caught up with him. "Is Mitsuru-san still mad at me?" I questioned. The boy typically didn't respond, instead just nodded his head.<p>

"Am I going to get executed?"

He stopped suddenly. I turned to face him. His gray eyes bore into my own, and he said with a completely serious face,

"Yes."

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~<strong>

****I just HAD to make a reference to this amazing P3 walkthrough! It's hilarious! Seriously, check it out. Google search 'My life is a Goddamn mess Persona walkthrough.' **

**Thanks for reading, people, and thanks to my awesome people who actually reviewed this! It made my day, seriously. School has actually started now, and I'm going to be in the Talent Show with my friend (We're dancing to Butterfly on Your Right Shoulder by Vocaloid, Rin and Len) So, I can't devote all my time to this. Hah, like I did that anyway. **

**I actually do not have Minako's headphones or Naoto's hat YET. I've ordered them, but they haven't arrived. **

**Oh, did ya see what I did there with the ringtones? I'm so clever… (Not) **

**Yeah… words to say, words to say… I honestly expected to have the meeting with SEES in this chapter, but that didn't work out. It went over five pages, and I hadn't finished talking to Naoto… So yeah. I don't like the hospital scene; so let me know how I can improve, as always. **

**Thanks again for reviewing. I don't want to be 'annoying review ask for girl,' but it would mean a lot for me. 'Kay, I'm gonna go now, so I can post this. Bye! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **

**I don't own Persona…. Why do I need to put this here? Seriously? If I owned Persona, would my writing be on this website? Would Kasumi be a figment of my imagination? No and No, so there. :P **

**Naoto: ****You're legally required to do it, so quit your complaining and get on with the story.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

The blue haired boy, who had given the me the name Minato Arisato, lead me up several flights of stairs, finally arriving at the top floor of the dorm. He pushed open the doors to what was apparently a meeting room, and we stepped inside. The door swung shut behind me, closing with an ominous thud as I was locked in with these people who were to decide my future. All chatter ceased as I entered.

Inside was what you'd expect in a meeting room. A large oak coffee table was surrounded on all sides by red furniture. Red couch, red stools, red chair… Do they have a red fetish? Along one wall was a row of computers. The wall was covered with beeping monitors.

Six people occupied the meeting area. I recognized Mitsuru and Akihiko sitting on the couch. Then there was a brunette, a girl with teal colored hair, and a guy wearing a hat. Reclining in the chair was a middle-aged man with long brown hair and glasses. Minato walked forward and claimed the last remaining seat on the couch, leaving me to stand awkwardly in front of everybody.

"Umm…" I trailed off.

"Oh, here." The hat-wearing boy stood up from his stool. "You can take my seat." The brunette rolled her eyes at this, but the boy didn't seem to notice. As I hesitantly sat down, he went to prop himself up on the arm of the couch. Chivalry isn't dead, I suppose.

There was silence for a while, during which we all engaged in a staring contest with everyone else. For lack of anything better to do, I started humming a song. I noticed Minato reach up and clip on his headphones.

"Ahem, anyway…" The man with the glasses broke the silence. "You're Kasumi Shirogane, is that right?"

"_No…_ I'm the pizza man." I said sarcastically. Several people snickered. I think even Mr. Silent over there cracked a smile. Glasses hesitated, as though uncertain whether or not I was joking.

"That was sarcasm. Yeah, I'm Kasumi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"No, no… The pleasure's all mine." I rolled my eyes, trying to push my sarcasm abilities to their absolute limit. "It's always exciting to get mauled by demons in a time of day that shouldn't exist. Seriously, best time _ever._"

"Yes, well… We extend our most sincere apologies to you for that-"

"Yeah, about that… Do you have a 'Demon-infested Tower insurance policy to cover the costs for a new laptop?" As I talked, I pulled my messenger bag forward, dumping the contents on the coffee table. The battered body skidded across the wood, along with many different pieces of machinery I'm sure Naoto would have been able to identify, but to me looked like metal soup. "See these shattered bits? These are bits of my life. And look what's become of them."

"Ah, um…" Make random guy in glasses feel awkward and pressured? Check.

"If I may speak." Mitsuru spoke up, most likely to help the guy save face. "Shirogane, this is the Chairman of the Board for Gekkoukan High, Shuji Ikutsuki. You already know Akihiko and Minato Arisato. The girl with the brown hair is Yukari Takeba." 'Yukari' dipped her head and muttered a 'nice to meet you.'

"Then there's Fuuka Yamagishi, and Junpei Iori."

The teal-haired girl and the other guy gave me little hi's and waves.

"Everybody, this is Kasumi Shirogane. From tomorrow forward, she will be a junior in your school." Mitsuru continued.

"Hold the phone!" I stood up sharply. "I don't think this is fair. So I may have skipped three years of school… But I kept up with my studies! I'm well educated! I can spell big words. Insubordination. I-n-s-u-b-o-r-d-i-n-a-t-i-o-n. Insubordination. So there. In case my choice of words was too subtle, I _am_ saying I'm being insubordinate."

The Kirijo acted like I hadn't spoken. Instead she just turned to the Chairman. "I suppose I should let you take over?"

"Yes, yes…" Ikutsuki still looked a little uncomfortable under my piercing glare. "I understand Mitsuru here already explained some things to you?"

"Something about Shadows and the Dark Hour… I'm still not clear on it." I stretched unconsciously, and then winced as my still bruised ribs let their opinion on my movement known.

"Right. You see, you wield a special power, known as Persona." The Chairman explained. "People with this power, namely you young students here, are able to enter the Dark Hour, and traverse the Tower of Demise."

"We just call it Tartarus…" Akihiko cut in, throwing a weird look towards Ikutsuki. "That was the tower you entered. It's kind of like a Shadow nest."

Junpei spoke then for the second time that night. "But isn't that cool? It's like having a super power!"

I blinked, sitting back down. "Sure, if that's your definition of cool. Hey, question. Mr. Shuji called it the 'Tower of Demise.' You seemed kind of surprised to hear it referred to that way."

"Err, yeah…" Yukari said. "We don't really… actually, I don't think we've ever called it the 'Tower of Demise.'"

"I'm sure it was just a slip of the tongue." Fuuka chimed, playing roll of the peacemaker. I, however, was not appeased. I let the subject drop for now, though.

"Anyway." The Chairman started again. "The power you use is unique, and we think it could be of use to us. Mitsuru?"

The redhead reached down and pulled out a metal briefcase I hadn't noticed before.

"To make a long story short, as long as you'll be going to our school, you should be affiliated with some sort of club. We'd like you to join us. We're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, SEES for short. We _are _classified as a school club, after all." She clicked open the case, and there, gleaming uncannily, was a silver gun. The letters SEES were engraved on it, along with some pretty patterns. Next to the gun was a red armband, SEES written in black.

"Dammit." I cursed. "I thought it was a new laptop."

I noticed Minato smile slightly. So he was paying attention? Either that or a really good song just started playing.

"So, will you join us?" Mitsuru's icy demeanor had started melting. I guess now I officially went to school, she couldn't really stay mad at me.

"Um…" Hesitating, I weighed my options. This was a chance to fight evil, literally, not in the detective/policeman sense. I would finally be able to be proud of things I've done. And besides that, with everyone staring at me, it's not like I could really say no.

"Hey…" Yukari frowned. "I know it's a big decision. We have a pretty bad problem with rushing people into things. You can take your time making your decision."

"I… That's just…" Joining would also mean risking my life. I could _die _fighting these monsters. These Shadows. But…

"Apathy Syndrome's getting to be a really big problem now, right?"  
><em>Naoto, lying there helplessly, unable to form a coherent thought. Her eyes, once full of life, hold nothing. Her soul bound in endless apathy, to never again be the girl I once knew. <em>

"I'm in."

_I will protect my sister and the ones I love. _

_Who knew I could be so deep?_

"Excellent." Mitsuru said. "This is your Evoker to keep."  
>"Are you sure?" Yukari had a look on her face that clearly said <em>Again with this?<em>

"That's awesome, dude!" Junpei exclaimed.

"…Yay…" The Arisato just shrugged.

"Oh, that's right. Shirogane, you should be aware that Arisato here is our field leader, and Yamagishi provides support in battle. Besides the Evoker we've given you, you'll need an actual weapon. Don't worry about that. There is one more thing, though. As long as you're going to join, we'll have to ask you to stay here. Is that a problem?" I shook my head. "Good. Then, at your earliest convenience, you can move into a room on the third floor."

"This is all well and good," I stood up, grabbing 'my' brief case and scooping my laptop soup into my bag. "But I really need to get back."

Before I could reach the door, Mitsuru called for me to stop.

"Before you go, you'll be needing this." She gestured to the white-haired boy, who tossed me a plastic bag. I caught it and peered inside. My fingers brushed over the soft fabric of a skirt. _Yuck, skirts…_ Beneath the dreaded feminine attire was a white button-down shirt, and a black jacket, the Gekkoukan logo emblazoned on the left breast.

"Yay, I've always wanted one…"

"I'm glad, you'll need it for your first day of classes tomorrow."

Have I mentioned I hate school? Well, I do.

I had one hand on the doorknob, so close to freedom, I could smell it, when Ikutsuki called me back.

"Oh, one moment, Miss Kasumi. It's a little late for you to be walking home alone, isn't it? Akihiko, Minato, be gentlemen and walk the young lady home."

"No, no, that's really not necessary…"

* * *

><p><em>Well, that was painfully awkward… <em>I plopped down on my couch, clicking on the TV to the news. The entire walk home had been spent in stony silence, broken only by the slight trickle of music coming from Minato's headphones.

"Does that boy ever talk?" I wondered aloud as I reached for my cell phone. It informed me that it was eleven thirty, and therefore not unreasonable for me to call my sister again. Well, at least not to me. Naoto might disagree, but if she didn't want to talk, she didn't have to answer.

I dialed her number, watching the news with half my attention.

"Hello?" Her familiar, 'masculine' voice answered after the second ring.

"Hey, Na- WAIT!"

"There's no need to shout… What is it?"

"It's nearing Midnight, and you answered on the first ring. What's with that? Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" I lowered my voice, but only slightly.

"I've been busy with work. I want to try to figure out who the next target might be." She explained as though that should be obvious.

"Work-a-holic…." I muttered under my breath. "ANYWAY, believe it or not, I have a reason to be calling you."

"You looked into the people I asked you to check out? You were magically able to solve this case and can give me a detailed description of the culprit? If it's not one of these reasons, I'm hanging up."

"…It's not-"

"Goodbye, Kasumi."

"WAIT!" I may have woken up people in Greenland with that shout. When the sound of a disconnected signal did not assault my ears, I knew I had been successful in keeping her from hanging up.

"Five minutes, and then I'm leaving." Naoto finally sighed.

"Thank you, oh wise and wonderful detective, for gracing a poor commoner with your attention."

"Four minutes, forty-two seconds, forty-one seconds…" She counted.

"Don't be weird… Okay… So, you know how Grandpa's always bothering me about going to school and stuff?"

"Yes…?"

"As of tomorrow, I will officially be a member of the Student Body of Gekkoukan High School."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Naoto? Did you fall to the ground in cardiac arrest? DO YOU NEED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE?"

The girl finally recovered. "You're not joking, right? You're finally continuing your education, and I didn't have to threaten or bribe you? This isn't a late April Fools' joke?"

I clarified with a chuckle, "Nope! Though to say I wasn't threatened wouldn't be totally accurate?"

"What?"

"Noooothing…."

"So why the sudden change of heart?" Naoto questioned.

"I joined the schools demon-slaying club."

"I realize I'm repeating myself, but, what?"

"I'm just kidding you. Remember a long time ago when we actually acted like siblings and would joke with each other like that without questioning each other's sanity? I miss those times… Then that stupid hat of yours devoured them like a ravenous wolf." I said in a joking tone. A tone that she would have picked up on a while ago, but now took seriously, reacting seriously as well.

"…Kasumi… Stop making me the villain. I'm happy that you are finally getting an education, and I'm grateful that you'll be helping me with the Inaba Murder case, but I don't have the time to argue with you about something that happened years ago, so if you don't mind, I'm going to go now, and try to catch a criminal. I'll talk to you later, about the matter we discussed earlier. Goodbye."

"Very well." This sudden change of mood shocked me, though in retrospect, I should have been used to it. I changed my tone – that had been light hearted a moment ago – to match her's. "Bye."

_Click. _

"I love you, Naoto. Sleep good, don't let the bed bugs bite…" I said into the dead line.

"_Love you, Kasumi."  
><em>

_"I love you, too, Naoto. Sleep good, and don't let the bed bugs bite!"  
><em>

_"Bed bugs? There are bed bugs…? What'll happen if they bite me…? Kasumi!" _

"_It's okay, Nao. If the bed bugs do get you, I'll get 'em back for you, okay? So don't worry!"  
><em>

_"Ah, okay… Thank you, Kas… Love you." _

I smiled fondly at the memory, despite the stinging behind my eyes that threatened to bring forth tears. "I wasn't trying to make you the villain. I really do miss those times. When we were two sisters, not a brother and a sister."

I closed my eyes, allowing sleep to take over me, along with bittersweet memories of a time that may never return.

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~ <strong>

**School. **

**That's all I can say, really… Frigging school. I know how you feel, Kasumi… And the whole 'love/hate sibling relationship.' Of course, my brother and I get along much better than these two. Sorry, I'm a sadist to my characters; therefore I had to make Kasumi and Naoto's relationship full of glitches. *****Shrugs*******

**Guess what time it is?**

**Kasumi: ****Adventure time? **

**No, you always guess that. Go back to the deep recesses of my subconscious that gave birth to you. **

**It's time to thank the awesome people who have reviewed my lil' story thus far! **

***Drum roll***

**Kaizer23**

**KaUiA **

**Axark **_  
><em>

**NightfallSky**

**You four all get a giant piece of cake. KaUiA, you get two because you reviewed twice!**

**Also, to you who have favorited/alerted: Because I'm overcome with laziness, and most of you are listed under the reviews, I'm not going to go through your names individually. Just know that I thank you. **** *Bows* Oh, and even if you didn't like my story/were too lazy to review/didn't feel like alerting, I still thank you for reading.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:  
><strong>**Kasumi:**** Hi! It's your favorite Protagonist here! Um, Nicole's passed out on the floor because she did too much physical exertion in Fencing Team practice, so I'm here to remind you all that she doesn't own Persona, only me. …Wait… does that make me a slave?**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5<p>

**June 19****th**

The gates of what would be my prison for the next eight or so hours loomed ominously before me, reminding me like a knife in the chest that there was no escape from this sentence. I fidgeted uncomfortably with my skirt, wishing I could add just a few inches to the hemline. Seeing as it was still summer, I only wore a white button-down shirt, but even then it felt too crisp and official. I had ditched the gaudy red bow, too. Across my torso was my ever-trusty messenger bag. I hadn't a clue what to bring, so that morning, I had literally just thrown a few notebooks, pens, and pencils inside, praying that would be enough. My first fear had been that I'd stick out with my purple hair, but then remembered Mitsuru, Minato, Akihiko, and Fuuka all had unusual hair colors.

_Is that one of the requirements to join SEES? _ I wondered, still stalling for time before I'd have to enter my own version of Hell.

"Hey, Kasumi!" A feminine voice called. I turned around to see Yukari and Fuuka approaching. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to go in?" The brunette asked.

"Umm…. Is just standing here an option?"

Fuuka giggled. "It's not bad here. You'll like it."

Together, we fought our way through the crowd of students, into the main building. Inside, my first impression was that this place was unnaturally clean. Bright walls and spotless floors gleamed in a way that made me feel as if I needed sunglasses. It was the same with the outside: way too clean.

"Okay, we're going to head for our classes." Yukari turned to me. "You should probably go to the faculty office. Just go down that hallway to your left and it's the first door on your right. See ya later!"

"Bye." The two girls took off, heading up the stairs.

"I feel so alone…" I sighed to myself. Shaking off my feelings of despair, I started walking in the direction Yukari had pointed me. The faculty office was small and cluttered. Several teachers flitted around. I guess they were trying to get ready for a busy school day.

"Hello…?" I called when it seemed no one was going to acknowledge my presence. Not one of the teachers turned around.

"Hey, you with the face!" That got their attention. One in particular, a man with brown-gray hair and stern brown eyes, seemed especially miffed.

"Can I help you, young lady?" He asked.

"Hi, um… Mr...?"

"Ekoda. I'm the Classic Literature teacher here. And you wouldn't happen to be the transfer student? I was given your file yesterday. It was a last minute move arranged by Miss Kirijo, so I haven't had time to read it. Just know you're in my class, 2-E."

"Aw, well I feel loved. Don't even know my name…" A person of less maturity than I possessed might have stuck her tongue out. I had trouble resisting the urge to do just that, and settled instead for a disapproving noise.

"Just get to class." Mr. Ekoda snapped. "You can follow me. I'm headed there now."

"Yes, Sir!" I saluted him stiffly, marching outside like a soldier. I didn't need to turn around to know the teacher had rolled his eyes at me. It may be my fault if all the teachers here hate me, but I can't help if I naturally react with sarcasm when faced with authority figures.

Up a flight of stairs, we had arrived at our destination; Class room 2-E, or so the sign above the door proclaimed.

_Please let someone I know be in here. Please, please, please, please. _I silently chanted as Ekoda pulled open the door.

"Quiet down, everyone! Take your seats!" There was a flutter of movement as the doors opened. Students from every corner jumped off of other's desks, springing for their own in a desperate attempt to not be the subject of their most feared teacher's wrath. One familiar teal head caught my eye and I sighed. I had Fuuka, at least.

"Students, I should introduce our new transfer student." It was awkward to say the least to stand in front of the entire class to be scrutinized like a piece of meat. Mr. Ekoda pulled out my file, flipping through it in an almost bored manor. "Her name is… Let's see… Kasumi Shirogane?"

"Yep, that's me! Nice to meet you all!" I bowed.

"Shirogane… Shirogane… That's the family of-" Before he could go on, I interrupted.

"That's right! I come from a long line of Yo-Yo makers. Can I sit down now?" Yes, Yo-Yo maker was the first thing that popped into my head. No, I don't regret saying it.

"Oh, err… right. There's a seat open there, right next to Miss Yamagishi." I guess I was on a lucky streak. Either that, or some sort of deity was smiling down upon me. Either way, I wasn't about to object to sitting next to sitting by the only person I knew in the room. My seat happened, also, to be right next to the window. This meant I was free to daydream all I wanted if the lesson bored me or if I knew the material. As I slid into my uncomfortable desk, Fuuka grinned up at me timidly.

"Good luck getting in this class, I suppose." I whispered. She nodded, right before Mr. Ekoda launched into his lecture.

"Miss Shirogane chose an excellent day to join our class, because today is the day we start reading _Romeo and Juliet_. I know it's not Japanese, but it is a classic, and it is my firm belief that everyone should have basic knowledge of this fantastic love story."

"More like a story of two teenagers who couldn't control their hormones…" I muttered to myself.

"Excuse me, did you have something you wanted to say on the subject?" The stern teacher asked me. "If so, please share."

"Okay." I stood up. "In my opinion, Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet _is completely ridiculous and we really don't need to waste our time reading through it. I can summarize it in a few words, if you'd like. Those words would be, 'Two kids fall in love hours after meeting and marry each other. Some people die, Juliet fakes her own death, and they both end up committing suicide. This all happens in the course of a couple days.' So, I stand by my statement that it is a retarded play."

"Is that so? Well I-"

"But of course, some believe that there was 'never a story of more woe then this of Juliet and her Romeo.' I find them both to be morons." I think at this point, Mr. Ekoda stopped paying attention to me. He cleared his throat and instructed the class to turn in their books to page three hundred and ninety four. I sat down with a huff, tuning out the rest of the class. I had read and hated the play once, and didn't really feel like re-living the experience. Instead, I rested my head in my arms, falling into a fitful doze.

* * *

><p>"Worst. Play. Ever." I announced, slamming my annotated copy of the <em>Works of William Shakespeare<em> closed.

"Which one?" Naoto glanced up from her newest detective novel. "I hope you're not talking about _Hamlet_." She couldn't spare me any more attention and returned to whatever riveting tail that was unfolding before her.

"No, not that. _Romeo and Juliet._"

This time, my sister didn't bother looking up. "Oh yeah. I didn't like that one, either."

"'Oh, Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou, Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name! Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I will no longer be a Capulet!" Reciting with an abundance of dramatic flair, I skipped over to where the aspiring detective was reading. As I spoke the last line, I got down on one knee, clasping her hand in my own. She giggled and played along just as I wanted her to. Instead of saying something mushy as I imagine Romeo might, she yanked her hand away in mock disgust.

"What on Earth are you talking about? I met you two hours ago, and you're professing your love? Are you insane? No, I'm not going to give up my very powerful family's name for someone I just met, and I think YOU should get real!" Naoto said in a male pitch she had perfected.

I was going to rebuttal with a line of my own, but found myself doubled over in laughing. After I had recovered my breath, I cleared my throat. "And with that, the lovesick Juliet realized she was being ridiculous, they went their separate ways, and Shakespeare saw that he no longer had a driving plot-line. With that, generations of young people were saved the torture of reading an idiotic love story. Queue curtain."

"I much prefer our version of the play, don't you?" She asked me, laughing quite as hard as I was. "Normally I wouldn't condone the slander of classic literature, but there's just something about that opening line, 'Two households, both alike in dignity,' that just makes me cringe."

"USE SMALLER WORDS!" I begged at the feet of the blue haired girl.

"Get a bigger vocabulary!" She retorted.

"I'm twelve! I DON'T NEED A VOCABULARY! Hey, speaking of, wasn't Juliet, like, thirteen in the original version of the play?"

"Hmm…" Naoto mused. "Ya know, Kas, I honestly don't remember."

I faked shock, falling over onto my back. "THE GREAT ELEVEN YEAR OLD WONDER DOESN'T REMEMBER SOMETHING! THE END IS NIGH!"

"Shut up before I hit you with this book."

"…Which book?"

"The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes."

"…I'll be quiet…"

* * *

><p>"Kasumi-chan… You need to wake up… It's lunch time." I was shaken out of my dream by a soft prod on my arm. I opened my eyes groggily to see Fuuka standing next to me, a worried look on her face.<p>

"Ngh… Did I just sleep through two whole class periods?"

"You did. You missed the rest of Classic Lit. and History."

"Somehow I'll go on… So, what's for lunch?"

"You can buy one in the cafeteria if you'd like. I was going to go see Yukari-chan, Junpei-kun, and Minato-kun, too." The teal haired girl informed me.

I yawned, standing up and stretching dramatically. "Sounds like a plan! Let's go find the one who never talks and the people who follow him!" Together, we left the classroom. I demanded we make a pit stop at the place that makes magical potions, and then we went on an epic quest, battling evil dragons, ogres, and warlocks to rescue the maiden and the two handsome knights from the clutches of the giant cannibal.

Actually…

No…

We just got some food at the school cafeteria before finding the other second years. I just wanted to make it seem more exciting then it actually was.

"Hey, Fuuka-chan, Kasumi-chan!" Junpei was the first to spot us approaching where they were sitting in the courtyard. "How's your first day going so far?"

"I wouldn't know. I told the teacher that our reading assignment was retarded and proceeded to sleep until about five minutes ago." I explained, sitting next to the blue haired boy.

"Really? Wow, you're shaping up to be another Minato." Yukari remarked. Thoughtfully, I glanced to the aforementioned boy. "Hmm… Not sure whether I should be offended."

"You shouldn't be." He didn't look up from scrolling through his MP3 player, but I was impressed that he answered at all.

"Yeah, 'cause _all_ the ladies think you're amazing." Junpei said.

"Was that sarcasm?" I asked. "Minato… Are you a player?"

"Define player."

"Um… someone who is very good at making girls think he's into them, then proceeds to break their hearts…"

Junpei laughed, "Yep! That's Minato!"

"And slash or an Asshole." I tacked on as an after-thought. "Minato, this gentleman says you're a player. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"…"

"Ah, so the player admits it!" Yukari joined me in my fun.

"When did I…?" He still hadn't said more than tree words per sentence, but he was conversing.

"You didn't deny it! Therefore, you admit it! Minato Arisato's a player! Minato Arisato's a player!"

"Minato Arisato's a player!" The brunette took over when I couldn't continue due to the overwhelming laughing fit that had seized me.

"…Whatever you say…" The 'player' returned to his music.

"Fuuka, Junpei! You two must help us! We must get him to say more words!" I ordered the two who had been pretty quiet for a good portion of this conversation.

Fuuka blinked, looking flustered. "Oh, no, I, um…"

Junpei just shrugged. "Man, it's no use. Gettin' him to talk is harder than getting Yuka-tan to go out with you."

"_Excuse me," _'Yuka-tan' snapped. "Just what do you mean by that, Stupei?"

"I mean you wouldn't go out with someone unless they were the most charismatic man on the planet."

And so lunch continued like that. Junpei and Yukari bickered. I attempted to annoy Minato, and Fuuka… Well, Fuuka kind of just watched. She'd interject occasionally, but other than that, was silent. Every once in a while, someone – and by someone, I mean half of the female student body - would approach our little group and ask Minato if he was busy that afternoon. He gave half answers to everyone, and every time this would happen, I would take up my chant of 'Minato Arisato's a player.' That just attracted weird looks, but I didn't care. I knew I was going to be a black sheep here. I was merely embracing my inner social outcast.

The rest of the day, however, wasn't nearly as entertaining as lunch. I didn't fall asleep again; luckily, the classes were slightly more engaging then my before-lunch ones. Even so, I was stuck in a stifling classroom for an abnormal amount of hours. Finally, _finally, _the last bell rang, and I was practically sprinting for home. I reached the front gates when the rest of SEES caught up with me.

"Good afternoon," The Student Council President and the person who sentenced me to suffer in this horrible place known as school greeted me. "If it isn't too much trouble, we were wondering if you'd be willing to move into the dorm today. Originally, we were going to wait until Sunday, but the Chairman will be coming back tomorrow… We thought it would be easier for all involved."

"No problem… Um, I think I have some cardboard boxes tucked away somewhere…"

"That won't be a problem. We've enlisted the help of a moving company to aid in the transport of your things. Any furniture you have will be taken to storage, and we'll pack up the rest of your things."

I blinked. "Right, you come from an insanely rich family. How do I keep forgetting that?" I led the group of teenager to my tiny house. It looked a lot bigger on the outside, because it connected to another, slightly bigger house, where an obnoxious family of three lived. Big or not, it wasn't an impressive sight, and some let their opinions known.

"You live here?" Junpei asked, incredulous.

"It didn't look this rundown at night…" The boy of unnaturally white hair muttered.

"Thank you for being mean to my house that I paid for with my blood, sweat, and tears." I snapped.

"Oh, right… Sorry."

"It's not a big deal. I'm sorry Minato had to turn down so many dates with so many pretty girls just for this, though." I said in a teasing tone. The blue haired boy snorted.

"Don't start that again."

"AH, FOUR WORDS! That's a new record!"

"Can we please get to work? The truck will be here any moment now." The Kirijo prompted us into movement, and with that, we got cracking.

It didn't take long to pack up the few miscellaneous objects I had collected, along with my miniscule wardrobe into a few boxes. We had the boys lift my few items of furniture into the truck Mitsuru hired. On occasion, someone would make a comment on something they'd found.

"Hey, Kasumi…" Yukari was holding a small frame. It was one that held three pictures side by side. Three pictures I held near and dear to my heart, that is. "Is this your family?" I put down the jacket I was folding and crossed the room to examine it.

The first picture was a beautiful young woman holding a crying baby with a shock of purple fuzz on her head. A man with almost black, almost blue hair leaned over her shoulder. They were both smiling at the camera, looking very happy. "That's my mom and dad when I was born. Wasn't I a cute baby?"

"Aww, you were! What about these two?"

The next picture contained a ten-year-old girl with shoulder length blue hair and a girl a year older than her, whose violet hair completely obscured her eyes from view. The younger girl was frowning in exasperation at the other, who beamed radiantly. "That's my sister and I. I had just given myself a haircut… I was only eleven, so… it didn't end very well."

Yukari laughed. "I can tell. And this one? Who's he?"

An eleven-year-old Naoto, Grandpa's infamous blue newsboy hat perched on her small head, was giving the camera holder (AKA, me, with my new camera) a small smile as she looked up from the picture I had attempted to draw for her birthday. Of course, I had no artistic talent and had failed miserable, but she had hung it up on her wall.

"Ah, that's Naoto…" I wasn't sure what to say without revealing her real gender. Even at eleven, she still looked like a boy in her getup. "He's a family friend of ours…"

"He's adorable." Yukari commented, and soon we were back to packing up my stuff.

"Okay, that's the last box." I announced as our favorite silent high school student carried out the fifth cardboard box we had packed. "I am officially moved out! We should totally go get pizza to celebrate!"

"Um… We… don't have a pizza shop anywhere near here…" Fuuka said apologetically. "You might have to go to America to find that.

"NOOOOOOO!" Falling to my knees in mock horror, I let out an ear-piercing yell. The rest of SEES filed out of my house, leaving me to mope on the floor.

I finally stood up and dusted off my skirt. It finally hit me then that I was leaving this place that had been my home for three years behind. I closed my hand around my metal key.

"I can always come back."

* * *

><p>"This'll be your room!" Yukari lead me to a room on the third floor, right at the end of the hallway. "We'll leave you to get packed."<p>

My evening consisted of unpacking boxes I had _just _packed, which sucks, incase you're wondering, and staring at my new ceiling on my new bed. I hadn't bothered to change out of my school uniform – I was too exhausted.

Right as I was going to sleep, preparing to rest for another day of Hel- Erm, school, my phone vibrated to signal I had a text message. I reached over groggily in the darkness to my nightstand. Finding the bulky silver device, I flipped it open.

_Naoto Shirogane: 1 message._

_Think I know the nxt target. Txt me tomorrow. We need to tlk. _

I keyed in the response: _Learn proper grammar. Learn that people don't like to be woken up when they're tired. This better not be a waste of time. Or else… Muahaha! _

Soon after, I received this: _Is this proper enough for you? It's not. I'm most likely right about this. Talk to you tomorrow, OK? We're going to catch a serial killer._

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~<strong>

**I'm trying to get off ending my chapters with Kas falling asleep. I'm just not creative, I guess.** **And maybe one day, I'll have more than a single day in one chapter… Otherwise, this story'll take a while… **

**A quick word about my update schedule; I don't have one. I usually start work on my next chapter as soon as I post another, then I post that one whenever it's ready. I promise I won't forget about you. **

**I REALLY, REALLY like this chapter. You get a sibling moment between Nao and Kas, even if it is just a flashback/dream/thing. AND you get a good bit of SEES interaction there in the lunch bit. This is also my longest chapter to date, but I guess it's making up for the fact that my last one was my shortest. Oh, and I really don't like **_**Romeo and Juliet.**_** I don't hate it like Kasumi, but I don't like it. And YES, an eleven year old read it. These are the Shirogane Sisters here. They spend their childhood reading in the library, remember?**

**Kasumi:**** Hey, Nicole…**

**What, subconscious mind? **

**Kasumi:**** Like 500 people have read this story, but only nine people (Give or take a few) have liked it enough to favorite/alert. Do people really hate us that much? *****Bows head and looks up through lashes in a blatantly obvious maneuver to guilt trip the readers into reviewing.***

**There, there. It'll be okay… **

**Kasumi:**** We don't say this often, but…**

**Please review… It saves lives.**

**Kasumi:**** Are we done making them feel bad?**

**Please… For the children.**

**Yeah, think we're done.**

**Kasumi:**** Good, I'm gonna go bug Minato some more. Minato Arisato's a player!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Six chapters in, and I'm already sick of saying this. I don't own the Persona series, only my OC's and original scenes. **

**Kasumi:**** OC**_**'s**_**? There's someone else? *****Sniffle***

* * *

><p>Chapter Six<p>

June 20th

That morning, after showering and gulping down a breakfast that was no different than anything I would have gotten at my house, I found myself dialing my sister's number. I knew we wouldn't have much time to talk, but ever since we had resumed communication between the two of us, I've found it extremely enjoyable to engage in conversation with her. Maybe it was just the lack of contact for three years that had caused me to forget how much fun it had been to talk with her. Well, no matter the reason, I was relieved when she answered on the third ring.

"Hello? Naoto speaking."

"Do you, like, not have my contact information saved in your phone?" I asked, wondering why she never knew whom it was when I called. I leaned against my bedpost.

"Oh, it's you." There was a noticeable drop in her voice.

"'Oh, it's you?' Well, that's a nice way to greet the only sister you'll ever have, little missy/mister/cross-dresser." That last part was just to annoy her.

"You just called me a cross-dresser. Excuse me for not being over enthused to hear from you. And did you notice that it's five in the morning?" Did I fail to mention that? Oops.

"You told me to call you…"  
>"Yes, I did. Clever observation. I was hoping for a more reasonable hour. Or maybe after school. You did say you go to school now, correct?" She just <em>had<em> to go throwing school in my face, didn't she?

Grinning into the phone as I left my room and headed towards the forth floor, I said, "I found a suitable replacement for my computer, and intended to look up those people you asked me to. I forgot their names, so I was hoping you could help me out, but I guess if you don't want me to…"

"…"

"Hah!"

"Shut up." Naoto was not a happy camper. Though I should know that. She's never been a morning person. In all the fifteen years I've known her, not once has she been in a good mood when she first woke up.

"Hey, you would be a first year in high school this year, correct?" I asked out of the blue as I started up the giant monitors I'm sure I didn't have permission to use in the command room.

"Correct. Why?" Her male-pitched voice crackled.

"Just wondering…"

"O…kay?"

The computer was ridiculously easy to crack into. After a few clicks and a few choice swear words, I was able to get into the Yasogami high mainframe. "See, when I hack to help you, it's good. When it's to fund my pitiable existence, it is deeply frowned on. Why?" I asked.

"Because it's illegal…?"

"But you're letting me do it! You gave me permission to do it! Speaking of, can I change the principal's name to something obscene and not T rated?"

"No, no you may not." Naoto shot down my dreams. "And what does 'T rated' even mean?"

I smiled my Joker smile as I contemplated all the things I could do with easy access to the school's information. "Oh, ya know, like on FanFiction dot net."

"What's Fanf-?" Interrupting before she could finish that blasphemous sentence, I snapped,

"If you don't know, never mind. Who did you want me to look into?"

"Chie Satonaka, Yosuke Hanamura, and Souji Seta."

"Okay… How do you spell Chie? And Satonaka. And Yosuke. And Han-"

"I get it, I get it!" I must have really been getting on my sister's nerves at that point.

I pulled up the three students' profiles and proceeded to stare at them for a few minutes.

Nothing.

No hunches, deductions, conclusions, anything.

I put the phone down after telling the person on the other end to hold on a second, and then peeled off my socks. "Okay, back."

"You just took off whatever footwear you had on, didn't you?" She asked after a brief pause.

"You know how I am with my feet! I can't think if they're being smothered!" Actually, as soon as I removed the atrocious socks, my mind immediately un-fogged.

"There's nothing really incriminating here about these three. Um, okay, here's what I think."

Naoto sighed, clearly please that I was acting semi-normally. "Go on."

"Souji Seta transferred to Inaba at the same time the murders started, but he was also at school the day the announcers body was found. Also, if he's hanging around Amagi and Tatsumi even after their disappearances, that says something. Who would hang out with the person who kidnapped them?"

"This is true, but even so… We shouldn't ignore that coincidence."

"Still…" I hesitated, biting my thumb and feeling like L from _Death Note_.

"Okay, what about Satonaka and Hanamura?" Naoto questioned.

I thought for a minute before listing my deductions. "Satonaka comma Chie. I don't see anything abnormal at all. Lifetime resident of Inaba, average grades, normal student stuff. Hanamura… He recently moved to Inaba, too, but… Hmm… His dad manages Junes. That's the chain that just came over there, right? Maybe Junes is secretly an evil organization."

"Can you take this seriously, please?"

"I am. I'm just saying I don't see anything that could land these kids in jail with charges of being a serial killer. Just… Keep an eye on them, okay."

"Yes, I planned on it."

Just then, a small voice spoke up from the doorway. "What are you doing?"

"HOLY BLUE HAIR!" I nearly fell on my butt in shock as Minato stood and watched, obviously amused. He was fully dressed, with his book bag draped over his shoulder. His hands were shoved in his pockets. His entire body language radiated an 'I don't care' aura.

"…?"

"Umm… Naoto, I'm gonna have to call you back. Apparently, it's time for school, as Minato has decided to announce to me."

"Ah, okay. I need to talk to you soon. Don't do drugs."

"Darn it. Bye." I snapped the phone shut and sent a death-glare to the blue haired boy. "I am totally not doing anything I'm not supposed to do."

He glanced towards the monitors that were still displaying the Yasogami student profiles. Blushing, I struggled to shut them off.

"See! I'm doing nothing."

"Whatever… It's time for school." He had already disappeared before I realized that he had spoken five words to me.

I caught up with him before he had gotten too far, and ended up walking all the way to the school with him. The time was spent in awkward silence, during which Minato listened to his headphones. I mean, he didn't even try to start up a conversation! Jerk… As we entered the gates, we heard two girls gossiping. They were talking about Mitsuru.

"Oh, my teacher told me about Mitsuru Kirijo, the student council president. She's going overseas after she graduates. Probably so she can run the Kirijo Company later...she's so different from us... The funny thing is, I hear she still lives in the dorms. I wonder why... Maybe her parents were strict when she was growing up." Nah, she's just in charge of the demon slaying club stationed there. Though I wondered how they explained the co-ed dorm and everything. Whatever… Not my problem.

* * *

><p>"Look, all I'm saying is that if you're going to write, write with proper grammar!" I was arguing to Fuuka about an American author I had been told about a few years ago.<p>

"I think you should give it the benefit of the doubt. You haven't read her work…" She objected.

"Yeah, but…" Before I could continue being argumentative, Mitsuru entered the room, her heeled boots clicking ominously on the tile floors.

"May I have a moment?" She asked, then, without waiting for a response, said, "I would like to inform you that the Chairman will be here this evening. Meet on the fourth floor of the dorm after school."

"Um, okay…?"

With that, she left.

"Well, that was fast." I commented, standing up with my bag. Miss Kirijo was obviously too busy to spend time socializing with us underlings. "You ready to head home?"

"Yep, let's go." The teal haired girl nodded, and together we headed out. We met Yukari at the gates. The brunette then joined us on our epic quest towards the dorm. Once we reached the wooden doors that marked the entrance to the Iwatodai dormitory, we came across something small and fluffy. A white fluff ball barked at us from the steps.

"Oh, hi, Koro-chan!" Fuuka crouched down to greet the dog. He licked her hand in response.

"You know this dog?" I asked, reaching down to scratch his ears.

"His name is Koromaru." Fuuka explained. "We see him around here sometimes." The dog, Koromaru, gave me a friendly nuzzle.

"Awww, you're so cute!"

"Koro-chan, give me your paw." The teal haired girl requested, and, to Yukari's shock, and mine, he actually placed a snowy paw in her outstretched hand.

"…Hm?" At that moment, Minato walked up.

"Oh, hi!" Backing away from the dog, I gave him a wave, which he returned, almost robotically.

"Can I pet him?" He asked.

"Sure!" Fuuka nodded, "Koro-chan, go say hi!" As Koromaru went over to greet our favorite blue haired boy, she explained, "His name is Koromaru. I've seen him sitting on the steps of the shrine."

Koromaru expressed his joy at meeting a new friend by playfully nuzzling Minato's legs. As he stroked the dog, I saw a small, but still present, real smile grace his face. It was the first time I'd ever seen him actually smile like that, and it changed his entire face. He glanced up, catching my eye. Then, slowly, he gave me another rare, real smile.

That tender moment lasted until an obnoxious housewife decided to walk up and spoil it.

"Oh, this dog still goes on walks all by himself?" She asked.

"Whaddya mean?" Yukari tilted her head quizzically.

The housewife explained. "He used to belong to a priest at Naganaki Shrine. Every afternoon, the two of them went this way on a walk."

I nodded. "That explains it."

"Well, until the priest passed away…" With that, she had our full attention. Even Minato listened. "Oh, you haven't heard the story? It was about six months ago...the priest was hit by a car while walking his dog. He didn't survive. Ever since then, that dog sits patiently by the site of the accident, and he goes for a walk every day, just like when his owner was still alive... Oh shoot, I have to get going! My son will be back soon!" We were silent as the woman walked away, until Yukari chimed in with,

"Aww, you're such a loyal dog! Good boy!" I don't know if Koromaru found that offensive or what, but as soon as she said that, he barked once and ran off.

"Wait, isn't the Chairman coming today?" Fuuka finally remembered the reason we had come straight home after school.

"Oh! That's right!" We all headed inside to prepare for Ikutsuki's visit.

* * *

><p>As usual, there weren't enough chairs to accommodate us all, so I ended up sitting on the floor, in a position similar to L from the anime <em>Death Note<em>. I noticed Minato giving me a weird look that I chose to ignore. The Chairman was standing, his empty chair mocking my sore legs, as he began his address.

"Hello, everyone. I wanted to let you know how my research was going. This concerns those Shadows that have been appearing during the full moons." I raised my hand.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Mitsuru explained briefly about the giant Shadows that have been terrorizing the city outside of Tartarus every full moon since April.

The Chairman cleared his throat, obviously asking for permission to continue. "As I was saying… I want you to listen carefully. It may be hard to follow. Shadows can be divided into twelve categories, according to their characteristics. We've known this for a while. It's like their class, or order. …Now, I've classified the special Shadows we've seen so far, and it's simply fascinating…!" He seemed to get really distracted, caught up in the excitement of his discovery, until Yukari prompted him. "Oh, sorry. Ahem...those four Shadows belong to Categories I through IV, in order of their appearance! They may have looked different from the more common ones, but the classification scheme still applies."

Junpei seemed completely lost and confused. "Is that something we should be excited about?" He asked.

"So…" I frowned, thinking. "That would mean, logically, there'd be twelve in all, one for each class-order-thing, right?"

"Correct, Kasumi!"

"Then, there are eight we haven't seen yet." Fuuka added.

"That's exactly right!" Ikutsuki exclaimed.

It appeared as though Junpei was slowly starting to get it. "Oh, uh, okay… But what are they after?"

"That's a good question, and that's what we haven't figured out yet: their motive. They don't kill their prey; they feed on their minds. It can be considered predation, but is it really? Is there a more underlying intent behind their behavior? The purpose of the Shadows as a whole...that's what we need to consider." The Chairman answered.

Akihiko, who had been silent for a while, added, "This is interesting, but no matter what, we still have to beat the rest of 'em." Mitsuru nodded.

"I agree. That's about all we can do at this point."

Everyone was silent for a moment, mulling this over. At least I was. So, there were eight more giant Shadows we would have to defeat. Of course, I'd never actually fought a giant Shadow, but I imagine they were pretty tough. I wondered about how I would balance that, school, and helping my sister with her murder case. This would be fun, huh?

"Eight more, huh? Lucky us." Yukari said sarcastically.

Fuuka nodded. "According to the data, each one has been stronger than the last, so we better start training harder…"

"What about Tartarus?" The brunette then asked. "Why does it even exist?" The red head hesitated, obviously without an answer.

Minato stood up. "Tartarus tonight?" Does that even count as a sentence? Good god, man, say words! In response, the Chairman glanced at his watch.

"I don't see why not. It would be good experience for Kasumi, at least."

"Yay!" I said, with no real enthusiasm behind it. "But, wait. I need some sort of weapon, don't I?"

"You mean you don't have one yet?" Junpei asked, almost with an air of superiority.

"Oh, excuse me for not stopping by my local deadly weapons store and picking one up!" I snapped. Nobody said anything. "Wait, don't tell me you actually have a deadly weapons store. I was kidding, darn it! Kidding!"

"We have a supplier." Akihiko explained. "But we can lend you something for tonight."

Well, as it turned out, Minato had an old one-handed sword he was willing to lend for the time being. Sure, it wasn't the most powerful thing in the world, but it would serve my purposes. It was weird, actually holding a blade that could kill someone… Or some _thing_.

"We'll meet at the school in thirty minutes." Mitsuru told us all. "Don't be late." Then, I was left to my own devices. Those devices would be calling Naoto.

"You have thirty minutes." I said when she answered. "Talk fast."

"Rise Kujikawa." Was the first thing out of her mouth. "That's the next victim."

"The pop idol…? But she's not exactly becoming famous through the TV, is she? She's already a celebrity."

Naoto agreed. "No, she's not. However, she's recently come under an abundance of local media coverage, as she is about to return to Inaba on a break."

"Is that our only thing to go on?" I asked. "Fun."

"I know. Kasumi…" And then it happened. Naoto became the little sister I used to play in a tree house with. The same one who needed me to check under her bed for monsters until she was seven. She showed me the face she had buried over the three years we'd been apart. "This case is going to drive me crazy. I don't understand how the killer can leave absolutely no trace of his crimes anywhere! It's like he's an enigma. The fog sets in and then a body shows up, or someone goes missing, and there's nothing to point even the most talented detective to the culprit. I can't take it." With every word she said, her tone became more frenzied, and it was obvious how this was tearing her apart.

"Take a deep breath, Nao. Calm down." I ordered. "Listen, how about I pay you and Grandpa a visit? I can take the train down there, and we can talk face-to-face. We're bound to find something, if it's the two of us, okay"

"Kas… Thank you." Then, as quickly as she had appeared, the old Naoto disappeared, being replaced by the confident new one. "I will discuss this with Grandfather, and find a suitable date for your visit. Of course, we will have to take into consideration your schooling…"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be in touch. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go stab monst- I mean, sleep. I'll see you later." Hanging up, I headed downstairs, where my friends were waiting.

Together, our ragtag band of high school students headed towards the demon infested tower that loomed in the skyline.

* * *

><p>The only thing I can say about my first training session in Tartarus is this; Shoot me now. And with an actual gun, not an Evoker. After only an hour, my legs were ready to commit mutiny. I had long since lost track of how many staircases we had dragged ourselves over, or how many creepy and disgusting monsters I had impaled. It was a learning experience, though. I learned several things. One, using a short sword in actual combat is nothing like what you see on TV. Two, I learned some interesting things about my Persona. Her name is Hestia, actually, the goddess of Hearth and Home. A little mythology lesson, she gave up her position on Olympus to allow Dionysus to step up. Just thought that was interesting. ANYWAY<em>, <em>I soon learned that Hestia was weak to ice attacks, so that sucked. But she also specialized in electricity and fire attacks. According to everyone else, she was a pretty good Persona, what do I know?

"I. Am. About. To. Die." I announced as our battered party made our way home. Yukari chuckled.

"You'll get used to it." She assured me.

"I doubt that. I have a lot of stuff to do, so…" The idea of climbing up three sets of spiral staircases was simply nauseating, so, without a second thought, I fell face first into the couch.

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~ <strong>

**I'm cutting it off there, since I really need to get this up.**

**Reading over this, I realize that I made a lot of Death Note references… And by a lot, I mean two. But still. **

**I apologize for not uploading this promptly, but the universe seemed to hate me when it came to writing this. First, I've been so busy with fencing practice, funeral jank, and school projects that I haven't actually had a good opportunity to sit down and write. Secondly, Microsoft Word was being retarded, and kept freezing, making me lose a lot of my work… And then there's the fact that I simply don't like this chapter that much. Not my best work, no. BUT I WILL MAKE IT UP TO YOU! Everyone's been saying they want Investigation Team interaction, and that's coming up soooooon! In a couple of chapters! I know what I want to do now, so that's good.**

**Also, I know another reason I haven't uploaded in a while. I had a dream that I posted Chapter 6, and EVERYONE hated it… It was horrifying. But whatever. I promise I will write Chapter 7 faster. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: HOMECOMING! Oh, wait. There was something else I needed to put here… What was it? I feel it was important, and could keep me from getting sued… Hmm… Whatever, I have HOMECOMING ahead of me. **

**Naoto:**** This idiot doesn't own Persona, so don't sue her. **

**~~~~SPOILERS~~~~~ **

**This chapter contains spoilers for certain aspects of the anime Death Note. Which I also don't own.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7<p>

June 21st

"Hello, fellow human beings…" My voice was slurred as I practically fell onto the breakfast table. "Why the hell did you let me fall asleep on the couch?"

The blue haired boy across from me shot me a blank look from apathetic gray eyes. "…"

Akihiko simply shrugged. "Did you expect us to carry you up three flights of stairs?"

"Um… Yes. That's what dorm mates do for one another when they're exhausted from trekking up a giant tower that just happens to be _crawling with monsters that one to eat my soul_." Everyone laughed at my sleep-deprived antics.

"You'll get used to the sleepless nights." Yukari assured me, which made me feel _so_ much better. When I told her such, she just shook her head.

"So…" Junpei interrupted the awkward silence. "What does everyone have planned for the weekend…?"

"Nothing much…"

"Just hanging around town."

"Homework."

"Social L- Video games." I cast a strange look at Minato when he answered before providing my own. "Buying a train ticket."

To that, no one had a response. I fidgeted with my belt loop, hoping someone would chime in with something. "What?" Eventually, I had to speak. "Is that so odd? Oh, by the way, Mitsuru, I'm going to be missing a few days of school. I hate to, I really do, but duty calls."

The redhead's icy glare could have frozen a volcano. "I hope for your sake someone very important died."

"Well…"

"Shirogane…"

"I seriously have family business to take care of, and I've already promised my sister I would. And if I don't, you'd be letting a mass murderer run wild through the streets of a small, foggy town, and that wouldn't be very nice, now would it?"

"…Excuse me…?"

Before the Kirijo could stop me, I sprang from my chair – without having touched my breakfast – and dashed out of the dormitory. I swung my legs over my motorcycle, forgetting, for once, my helmet in my haste to start the engine. My destination was Port Island Station. I prayed I would be able to book a train ticket for today. Yes, it was extremely short notice. Thank you, Captain DUH. But in all honesty, I was happy for any excuse to get out of going to school. My basic plan, which I had formed in the five minutes I had spent in the shower that morning, basically consisted of getting on the train today, spending the entirety of the twenty-second there, and coming back the twenty-third. Perfect, foolproof plan, right? Yeah…

"One ticket for the twelve o'clock Inaba bound train." Slamming a few hundred yen on the counter, I stood panting before the ticket salesman.

"Why'd you wanna go there, missy? Lotsa fuss about that place…"

"Do you have the ticket or not?" Brushing my violet hair out of my face, I attempted to pull off a piercing glare.

"You're lucky, it's the last one." He passed me one of the shiny tickets, barely having time to count my money before I had left. A quick glance at my watch revealed the time to be precisely eleven o'clock. I had just enough time to get back to the dorm, throw various objects into a bag, and get back to the station, if I booked it.

"HI EVERYONE, I'M STILL LEAVING!" Waving to everyone in the lounge of the dorm, I practically flew up the stairs and into my room. I pulled out my trusty messenger bag, dumping my ruined laptop into the trashcan, and threw a couple of shirts, jeans, and other basic necessities into it. I buckled it shut with surprising ease. In another few moments, I was out the door.

"Kasumi Shirogane, stop this instant!" Echoed behind me in the voice of Mitsuru. I… Chose to ignore her orders, instead focusing on getting to my destination. It wouldn't be practical for me to attempt to bring my motorcycle, as I would have nowhere to keep it while in Inaba, so I was forced to run full speed all the way back to the train station. It was eleven fifty when I arrived, panting and out of breath. I shoved my ticket into the face of the conductor and hopped onto the train.

The somewhat soft upholstery of my compartment's bench was welcome after my exhausting sprint across the city. I gratefully sank into it, immediately falling asleep.

* * *

><p>"GAH! Stupid Light!" Naoto looked up sharply from her novel at this exclamation. Seeing her sister, ear buds in, watching who-knows-what on her laptop, the blue haired girl sighed and returned to the riveting story.<p>

"No! L! It's Kira! He's right there! He put a TV in the potato chip bag! POTATO CHIP OF DOOM!"

"Kasumi!" The girl had had enough. She slammed her book closed. "Could you please be quiet? I'm trying to read."

"Yeah, well, I'm trying to watch _Death Note._ So I win. Besides, I'm sure you've already deduced the culprit, and found out exactly how Holmes is going to attempt to corner him."

"I… I may be wrong…"

"You don't really think that."

"What on God's green Earth is so special about that anime?"

The violet haired girl smirked. She knew she held the trump card. "It's about the world's greatest detective…" At this, Naoto's gray eyes grew wide, and she ran her hand through her shoulder length hair. That was something she did when she wanted to keep or regain her composure.

"Umm… C- Do you think I can…?"

Laughing, her older sister clicked over to Episode one as she unplugged her ear buds. "Join me, child."

Naoto sat the Sherlock Holmes novel down before hopping up to join Kasumi at the desk.

The next day, (After staying up all night) the two sisters could be found crouched underneath the desk, laptop between them and Episode twenty-five paused as they cried their eyes out.

"Stupid Light!" Kasumi choked out. "L had him completely figured out. He just needed the evidence…"

"Damn that Habeas Corpus." Naoto agreed.

About that time, there was a knock on the library door. Neither girl was in any state to answer, so the aged man let himself in. "Girls, dinner's… Girls?" Seeing Naoto's empty reading chair, and Kasumi's abandoned swivel chair, he trailed off.

"Here." They simultaneously poked their heads out from under their hiding place.

"What's wrong?" Their Grandfather gasped as he saw their tear stained faces.

"LIGHT KILLED L!" They exclaimed at same time in a twin like fashion.

"Well, I suppose you could say he got Rem to kill him…"

"But even so, indirectly, it was Light's doing."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…"

"If only Rem was a little more selfish."

"Yep."

The older gentleman gazed at the two in confusion for a little bit before clearing his throat. "In any case, dinner is ready. So make yourselves presentable."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Kas?" The blue haired girl got her sister's attention by poking her in the side with a twig.<p>

"Eeep!" Nearly losing her balance, Kasumi wrapped her arms around the trunk of the tree that they were currently perched in. "Don't _do_ that! Whaddya want?"

"Didn't Grandpa seem kind of upset at dinner tonight?" Naoto inquired.

"Hmm… Now that you mention it… Maybe a case is bothering him?"

They both considered this in silence for a while. "Perhaps we could help him on it?" The younger finally offered. "I hate to see him down, and I bet with our minds combined, we could crack the case!"  
>In a fashion that greatly resembled a stick in the mud, Kasumi shook her head. "Grandpa would never let us help on a case. So… What are we gonna do?"<p>

"I have a plan…"

* * *

><p>"Hey, Grandpa!" The two intercepted their guardian as he was leaving his study. It was the elder who spoke. "Naoto has a funny story to tell you! Right, Nao?"<p>

"Umm… W-Well, it's not so much a story as a dream I had last night… Okay, so it started when this pink elephant stole my ice-cream…" Leaving her sister to spin what promised to be an interesting tale, Kasumi sneakily ducked behind her Grandfather's legs and into the study.

"Let's see… Case file… Case file… Ooh, a computer!" Even young as she was, the girl still found it easy to hack into the mainframe of the computer. With that, a world of possibilities opened up. However, she was on a mission, and there was only one thing she needed to get out of this excursion.

"Most recent cases… Unsolved… Oh, a robbery. I was hoping for murder… Ooh, that looks interesting… Wait, no, I just need to print this out and get back to Nao… Okay, okay. Print. There."

"…. And then the penguin said to the elephant…" Still speaking, Naoto spotted her sister emerging triumphantly from behind her grandfather's back. "Hey, give me back my pickle! The end! Great dream, actually! I have to go. Come on, Kasumi."

The sisters dashed down the hall and into the library.

"Did ya get it?"

Kasumi held up the stack of papers. "Let's see…"

They stayed there all night, two very bright young girls pouring over countless minute details, wracking their brains until they felt they would burst.

"And so, if you take into account the footprint…"

"…It means there's only one person who could pull this off…"

"The maid!" They shouted in unison.

"Victory is ours!" Leaping up, the violet haired girl began a happy dance. Naoto continued to stare at the case before her, eyes wide. There was wonder, pride, and awe in her stunned gaze. "I… I did it. I solved a case. I solved my first case."

"Yeah. _We_ did." Having frozen in the middle of her happy dance, Kasumi gave her sister a look of slight annoyance. "Nao?"

"I have to tell Grandpa!" The girl took off down the hall, her sister following shortly afterwards.

Panting, Kasumi leaned on the doorframe of the room she had seen her sister disappear into.

"…And that's the case."

"That's brilliant! And you solved it all by yourself?" Naoto didn't accept or deny that fact. She just beamed at her guardian silently. Kasumi wanted so much to interrupt. To say that she helped, and see that same pride shine in his eyes as he gazed at his other granddaughter, for a change. Yet, something held her back. Maybe it was the joy in her sister's eyes, but she just couldn't take this moment away from Nao. She knew she didn't mean to hurt Kasumi or take away from her contribution. She was just so happy, she wasn't thinking.

"That's my junior detective!"

That was the last straw. The older man taking off his famous newsboy cap and placing it fondly on his younger granddaughter's head. Kasumi fled, in tears, back to her room.

* * *

><p>The sharp jolt of the train rattling to a stop woke me from my dream. I'm not sure if I would classify it as a nightmare, as it did contain some pleasant memories. Then again, it did contain the single most depressing moment of my life. That moment that actually drove me to leave my grandfather's house illegally a few years later. I had gotten sick of Naoto's act and simply had to leave. I never did blame my sister for indirectly stealing all my Grandfather's pride and affection. In fact, I blamed myself.<p>

But now wasn't the time to dwell on memories. I sat up and stretched, getting ready to get out of this stuffy compartment. A quick glance out of the window showed the rain coming down in sheets outside. Had it always rained so much when I lived here? Somehow I couldn't remember.

I stepped out into the pouring rain, immediately getting drenched, as I regrettably didn't think to bring an umbrella. Standing a few feet away, and with the blessing of a parasol over her head was a familiar shape. She gave me a small wave to get my attention, and I obediently headed towards her.

"Kasumi." She said politely. "It's been a long time."

"Sure has…" I silently studied her, noting all the ways she'd changed, and all the ways she was the same.

Still perched jauntily on her head was the familiar dark blue hat. She still had the blue hair cut in a boy-ish style, and gray eyes that analyzed everything. She was still shorter than me by a few inches, and still stood with the same confidence she had before. Yet there were some differences. Most noticeable was the exhausted and stressed look her eyes held. Also, her voice was deeper than I remembered, most likely because of age, and her attempting to imitate a male voice pitch.

"Naoto Shirogane." Analysis complete, I broke into a grin. This was my sister. Nao held her hand out, expecting a handshake. Ignoring that silent request, I pulled the short girl into a sopping wet hug.

"Kas… Please get off of me. You're soaked."

* * *

><p>Kasumi hadn't changed a bit. That was Naoto's first impression as she saw her sister get off of the train. She was the same Kasumi, just in a sixteen year old's body. Her violet hair had gotten a little shorter, so she must have cut it. And judging by the choppiness of the layers, she had done it herself. Her bright green eyes were as alert and cheerful as always, despite the fact that she had just stepped into pouring rain. It was annoying that she had surpassed Naoto in height, but that was to be expected. She was the elder sibling, after all.<p>

Naoto raised her hand slightly in order to get Kasumi's attention. The girl practically ran over to where she was standing.

"Kasumi. It's been a long."

"Sure has..." They stood in silence for a while. Naoto recognized that look in her sister's eyes. That was the look she got when she was thinking deeply, or if she was trying to figure something out. She supposed it this case, it'd be herself Kasumi was trying to riddle out.

"Naoto Shirogane." She said as if she had just come to the realization that she was looking at her younger sister. Naoto extended her hand. Instead of what she was expecting, she got a very wet hug. A few more tender moments, and they were off, heading towards their Grandfather's manor, and a warm change of clothes.

* * *

><p>A few months ago, what Souji Seta was doing would have seemed completely ridiculous. It still does, if he's being perfectly honest. He stood in front of his switched off TV as the clock struck midnight, as he's done several times before. At first, all that appeared was his own reflection, looking intently back at him. Then, the screen flickered to life. The image was blurry, as it had been the night before, but he could definitely make out the shape of a young woman, in a bathing suit. Looking a bit closer, Souji could identify the somewhat familiar face of the pop idol Rise Kujikawa. However, it kept zoning in on her chest and thighs, making it hard to distinguish the face as a result. Slightly disgusted, Souji turned away from the TV. He pulled out his phone, with the intention of calling Yosuke, when the device started ringing.<p>

"Hello?"

"Hello? Did you see that! That was Rise for sure! Rise Kujikawa!" Souji nodded to himself as he replied.

"You're right."

"Thought so! Oh… I guess I shouldn't be so excited. There's a chance she might get kidnapped… C'mon, we should go there tomorrow! What was it called again…? Oh yeah, Marukyu Tofu! Dude, my heart's pounding already… Well, see you tomorrow!" Perhaps Yosuke was a little… eccentric, but he was a reliable partner to have.

At any rate, they had their new target.

**~~Author's Note~~**

**See? I did promise a faster update! And some Investigation Team action! AND I DELIVERED. Short chapter, but… Ya know… Short is better than no. I just had nothing else to include. So I cut it off. I also went POV crazy. Sorry if it confused you. It's Kasumi for the beginning, then switches to 3rd omniscient, then back to Kasumi as the train arrives, then to Naoto, then to Souji. Sorry! I just couldn't get my point across with one POV. **

**Have I mentioned how much I love you reviewers? Seriously, you all make me feel like a good writer. **

**I realize Kas's plan to go to Inaba was VERY, VERRRRRY short notice, bordering on unrealistic, but, like you all, I'd like to get to the P4 aspect of this story eventually… And, ya know, advance the plot a bit. **

**I've been waiting to write this little flashback for a loooooonnnnngggg time. It's an idea I've had since before I actually started writing this story. And for the record, I feel as though I'm going to have a hard time keeping Naoto in character. Well, I'm sorry. I'm basing her off of how I believe she'd treat an older sister who acts like a two year old. **

**At any rate, short update. My shortest yet. Enjoy. Don't do drugs. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: No seriously, guys. I don't own Persona. Stop asking.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8<p>

June 22nd

Grandfather's house was exactly like I remembered it. And when I say exactly, I mean _exactly._ It was large, warm, and somewhat stuffy. It was possible to get lost by just by daydreaming a bit as you walked down the halls. The furniture looked like it would fit better in a twentieth or even nineteenth century plantation home or some other extreme exaggeration such as that. There were really large portraits of the ancient members of the Shirogane family lining the walls in almost every corner, and their eyes seemed to follow you. In other words, it was creepy.

The room Naoto and I once shared was also very nearly perfect in my memory. Of course, it had gone from two young girls' bedroom, to one teenage 'boy's' room, so naturally, there had been some alterations. The tiny desks that used to occupy two opposite corners had been removed, and instead, a giant bookshelf slash desk wrapped around two walls. The two beds had been taken out as well. Now there was only one - I'd be staying in the guest room for the extent of my visit. The walls were still the same pale blue they had been, and the only light came from a floor lamp by the bed.

Currently, the two of us were lazily collapsed on her bed, the early morning light just beginning to seep in through the blinds. Case files spread between us in an unorganized heap. My young sister had finally crashed after pulling an all-nighter. It wouldn't be right for me to disturb her, so I let her sleep. Instead of being productive, I let my mind wander to last night, when I first arrived at the Shirogane 'Manor,' if that was the right word.

"_Kasumi." The aged man scrutinized my face, not in a quizzical way, but very critically, as if he was taking in every noticeable flaw. _

"_Hey, Granddad." I never had one specific term I applied to my Grandfather, meaning I flitted between 'Granddad,' 'Grandpa,' 'Gramps,' and so on. He wasn't too fond of that last one. _

_My voice was completely level, or at least, that's what I was going for. I prayed it wouldn't crack, giving away my nervousness. I hadn't stepped in this house for three years. It was only natural to be a little frightened. _

"_It's been a while." He stated simply._

"_Sure has." Was my equally simplistic reply. "Can't say I'm completely thrilled to be here, though." _

_Eyes narrowed, Granddad held out his hand for a handshake. I placed mine in his, unlike my greeting of Naoto, where I had been more than pleased to pull the girl into a bone-crushing hug. _

"_Naoto tells me you're continuing your education, is that correct?" He asked, releasing my hand._

"_That's right, I-" But I was interrupted._

"_That means I don't have to worry about sending you support checks every month, right?" Thinking that he sounded like we were a divorced couple, I shook my head.  
><em>

_"No, Grandpa, I'm out of your hair, so to speak." _Not that those checks helped me much…

_The aforementioned Naoto cleared her throat, sensing my discomfort at the subject. "Grandfather, my sister has had a long trip. Perhaps it's time for us to retire…?" 'My sister.' As if I wasn't his granddaughter. No, I wasn't. I was a blood relative of Naoto's – the perfect detective – and a nuisance, arrived only to take up space and eat his food for a short period of time. I felt a sense of bitterness rise in my throat. _

A loud thud, followed quickly by a string of curses was what made snapped me out of my daydream. Peering over the edge of the bed, I saw my sister sprawled on the floor, swearing like a sailor. Her hat had been knocked off her head by the fall, her gray eyes glaring up at me.

"No, no, don't bother helping me. I've got it." She said, with more then a tad bit of sarcasm.

I laughed. "Would you like a hand, Nao, dearest?"

The girl just glared at me. "Not a word from you…"

After the detective had righted herself on the bed and straightened out the case files, she turned to me.

"So, what do you think of Rise Kujikawa as the next victim?" She asked me, fixing her hat on her head.

"Hmm… I think you're right about that. She fits the bill. She's gotten a bunch of news attention… Which is kind of the only qualification… But still, she fits it. Course of action?" I asked. "I can go out on the field, if you want. Do what I do best; snoop." Smiling, Naoto shrugged. "If you'd be willing, her family owns a tofu shop in the Shopping District, but do you want me to go with you?"

I thought this over. Noticing how tired my sister looked, I shook my head. "I can handle myself on this, you should catch up on your rest. Read a book or something."

"Ah, well… I would feel bad sending you out like that. I invited you here with the purpose that you _help _me on this case, and not get sent out to do field work while I 'read a book or something.'"

I wrinkled my nose, giving Naoto a slight push. "I think I'll be fine. I'll be back before the sun sets, and we can go over whatever information I find, 'kay?"

She looked like she was about to protest, but in the end just sighed. "Go on, then."

"YAY! It's Adventure Time!"

* * *

><p>Adachi knew that when he'd been sent to a no-name town like Inaba, he'd be stuck doing some tedious jobs, but <em>directing traffic?<em> That was lower than low. That was hitting rock bottom and slipping into a crack. It pissed him off to no end, yet he still plastered that innocent, rookie look on his face as he continued to wave his orange wand.

"Huh? Mr. Detective? Did something happen?" Adachi gasped, spinning around in shock, to see the group of misfits, minus the girls, that have been hanging around the crime scenes recently. The one who had spoken was the spiky-haired brunette. What was his name? The detective couldn't remember and didn't care.

"Oh, it's you guys." He said flatly. "Ai yi yi… These _gawkers_ keep streaming in with their cars, trying to park in the middle of the shopping district."

The taller, more muscular of the two snowy haired boys piped up, looking rather intimidating in his skin tight tank top and skull tattoo. "Why's that?"

"Didn't you hear? Rise Kujikawa's here. Hey, did you guys see her already? Is she there? Which is it?" Adachi wasn't even sure himself what he was prattling about, so he knew full well that the teenagers would too be thoroughly confused.

The scarier boy spoke again, "Huh…? We're askin' why a plainclothes detective is here doing traffic control."

Adachi cleared his throat, the fear of decapitation, mutilation, _death_ at the delinquent's hands making it hard to speak. "Oh… Uh, well… The Inaba Police Department isn't that big, and we don't have enough staff… Well, I still have work to do, so I'll see you later." With a wave, the 'plainclothes detective' took off, ignoring the fact that he had just abandoned his post, and was most likely going to be in a world of trouble. Anything was better than being around that horrifying boy.

"Eep, oh crap, sorry!" Lost in his own fears, Adachi almost didn't notice it when he ran into the girl. Bright green eyes met his own.

"Oh, no, it's my fault. I'm sorry." He apologized, stuttering, as he looked at the girl he had run over. The violet haired girl just shrugged.

"Whatever, no harm done. …Are you supposed to be directing traffic?" She asked, pointing to the orange traffic wand he still clutched.

"I'm… off duty currently." He lied, not wanting to admit that he had fled in fear from a first year student.

The girl snorted, glancing out into the chaotic streets. "Well, looks to me like you're needed out there, Sir Traffic Cop."

_Traffic Cop? I'm no Traffic Cop! I'm a detective, dammit!  
><em>

Continuing, the girl obviously didn't notice the detective's annoyance. "Well, anyway…" She started to leave, but Adachi stopped her.

"Wait, I haven't see you around here before, and it's a pretty small town… You'd think that…"

"You'd recognize me? Haha, you'd think that… No, actually, I'm a figment of your imagination… Wait, no, that's not right. I'm just on a business trip, per say. Don't worry about me."

Before the cop could interrogate her any more, the violet haired girl had disappeared.

* * *

><p>"Damn, I should have left it with the whole 'figment of your imagination' thing. That would have been awesome." I hummed slightly as I skipped to the tofu shop. Yes, I did skip. I firmly believe that no day is complete without your healthy dose of insanity. I passed a group of three boys; one of whom had looks enough to scare even the bravest soul. <em>They look strangely familiar<em>. They were standing outside the shop, discussing different varieties of tofu for reasons unfathomable as I made my way inside.

I had not taken three steps before my phone began ringing. It wasn't Naoto's ringtone, and the Caller ID didn't show anyone familiar, so it was with some hesitance that I flipped it open and pressed the talk button.

"Hello?" I asked, walking to a tiny table just inside the shop.

"Shirogane."

"Oh… Um… H- Hi, Mitsuru. Has anyone ever told you that you have the most superb timing? Really."

"My timing? If you want to discuss timing, so we shall discuss it." I swallowed nervously. This didn't seem like a friendly call from the Kirijo. "You decided to leave town when we have precisely fifteen days left until the next full moon, when you have next to no training in combat, and on top of that, you're missing school." So the lecture continued. I was half tempted to just put the phone down and let her ramble to air, but I figured that would only create more problems then it solved. Instead, I listened with half my attention as my eyes wandered around the clean shop.

As Mitsuru lectured, the three boys from outside entered, engaging in a discussion with a young woman at the counter. On closer inspection, the woman appeared to be the one and only 'Risette.'

"Heh, what's in a name?" I quoted the play I so despised as I gazed at the girl who looked like anything a pop idol. She just looked tired with her hair in a rag, and a stained apron donning her body.

"Pardon?" Mitsuru's voice crackled.

"Oh, nothing… Nothing… Continue. You were discussing my irresponsibility."

"…There's extra tofu in there for everyone… A little thank you for worrying about me."

"Whoa, seriously? Thanks!"

"Yosuke-senpai, you can't eat tofu, right? Want me to take yours?"

"Hell no! I always eat what people give me!"

I looked up sharply. The trio had left.

_Then_ I recognized them.

"Damn it all!" I snapped, before realizing that I was still on the phone with the Kirijo.

"Excuse me!"

"Oh, no, not you! Suspects! Victim! Rise! Death! I have to let you go, I'm sorry!" Snapping the phone shut, I was about to leap from the counter when yet again the door swung open.

Detective instinct kicking in, I ducked down underneath my table.

_Yeah, real subtle, Kasumi. _

Two official looking men entered, and I recognized one as the Traffic Cop from earlier. The other looked older, and had a tired expression in his eyes; similar to the one I had seen in my sister's.

There wasn't too much conversation to be heard of. They made their purchases and turned to leave, before the older man stopped.

"Uh, hang on a second. Sorry, but there's some things I'd like to ask you. You do know that there have been multiple violent cases around here lately, yeah? Have you seen anyone suspicious around?" So they were working on the Murder cases, huh? Then I was right to snoop on this dusty ground.

The pop idol shrugged, and in a flat voice said, "Not really. It's been like always."

"Like always… Well, you're an idol, so I imagine you deal with folks like fans, paparazzi and stalkers quite often. What made you take a break from showbiz?"  
>What? Who cares about that? Discuss the case! Throw me a bone, here! I'm hiding on the tile floor for this, jeez!<p>

"Does it really matter? …I just needed a rest." Rise said simply, sounding defeated.

"And have you registered for school?"

I was starting to tune out this completely irrelevant chatter until I heard something of interest.

"I don't mean to alarm you… But…You do have some things in common with the recent victims. That's why… Well…" So. The police force was catching up with Naoto's deductions at last. She had told me that they had been a little slow at the get-go.

"I might be kidnapped, right? I've been told before. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

The detective I had run into earlier blinked his catlike eyes. "Huh…? Someone already told you?"

The tired idol nodded. "It was three guys. They were wearing uniforms, so I think they're high school students…" Those three kids had warned her?

"Did one of them happen to look…? How do I put it…? Did he look something like a gang member?" The older asked.

Rise contemplated this while the younger detective chimed in with, "Wait, you think it was your nephew and his friends?"

The older man hesitated, and I silently wished that I had something to record this with. "Something smells here. The recent disappearances… Between those and the two homicides, there's too many questions with no answers. To tell the truth, I followed my detective's intuition and came here to warn her. How could high school kids who know less than we do beat us to the punch…? Were they just making up an excuse to talk to a famous celebrity…? Or…"

Yes, how indeed. High school students… Could Naoto be right in her suspicions about the seemingly innocent students? But… Rise said they had come to _warn_ her. What criminal in their right mind waltz's up to their next victim and says, "Hey, I'm going to kidnap you next Thursday. So be on the lookout for someone suspicious." Honestly.

I heard the rookie mention something about the Prefectural police coming soon, and knew they meant the people Naoto worked with. My sister wasn't officially assigned to the case yet, but I knew that they wouldn't think twice about signing the Junior Detective on immediately if they didn't think the Police Department was up to snuff. Those Prefecturals didn't screw around.

After the detective had left, and the idol was busy with her tofu, I figured it was safe for me to make a hasty retreat, and head back to Grandfather's house. It was getting dark, after all.

* * *

><p>"The Police Department's caught up to your deductions, your suspects warned the next victim about her possible abduction, and I didn't get any tofu from that trip." I announced, plopping down on Naoto's bed.<p>

"You don't like tofu, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Right."

"Now, repeat what you just said, but slower, and give me details."

* * *

><p>Again, the rain came down in sheets, and the Seta boy peered out his window. The clock was ticking towards Midnight in a steady rhythm, matching with his heartbeat.<p>

_Click. Click. Click._

_Thu-thump. Thu-thump. Thu-Thump. _

That was the only noise in the room as Souji approached his TV. He had done this last night, too. He was used to the routine. His own reflection quickly contorted, becoming a fuzzy video of the same girl in the same swimsuit. It was easier to make out this time, and beyond a shadow of a doubt, Souji knew it was Rise Kujikawa. He glanced down at his phone, considering calling Yosuke.

He didn't have to ponder that for long, because the sleek device immediately started ringing.

"…Hello." He said into the receiver.

"Hey! We were right about it being Rise Kujikawa! The one on tonight seemed a lot creepier than the real Rise, but you could see her face clearly. There's no mistake.

Let's all get together as soon as possible tomorrow!"

Souji hung up on his friend after a quiet mutter of agreement.

He knew he should get some sleep for tomorrow, yet he felt that somewhere near his own home, another event was occurring, with just as much significance as this 'Midnight Channel.' He felt that these events weren't the only ones to be concerned with, and that somewhere, another boy was struggling with his own destiny.

That nagging thought kept the boy awake.

* * *

><p>Minato wasn't fond of dreams.<p>

They were exhausting, for one, keeping him from getting the decent rest he felt he deserved with all the crap he was put through.  
>Another, and maybe more valid reason, for the blue-haired boy's detest of dreams was that recently, they were dreams of events that were happening currently.<p>

Just take now for example. The minute he closed his eyes, he found himself standing in the back alley of Tatsumi Port Island Station. It was the Dark Hour, and the crescent moon hung overhead like a green scratch in the inky black sky. Scattered around were coffins, and inside each coffin was some member of the dregs of society. Without warning, one of the victims of the Dark Hour retained his original shape, awakening from his Transmogrification. Minato was confused. Could people do that?

The teenager, though, was probably more confused. "…Huh… How the heck did I- What the hell is this?"

A cold voice rang out along with the sound of footsteps. "Good evening…" Three strange people appeared. And strange was probably an understatement. The first, the one who had spoken, seemed almost albino. He was almost deathly pale, with curly white hair that fell down past his shoulders. His golden eyes, however, ruined that image of an albino. He was shirtless, exposing several odd tattoos on his bare shoulders. The other boy was probably opposite. In contrast to the other's lack of color, he made up for it in plenty. His hair couldn't be described as blue, when you had Minato to compare it to, but it was an interesting hue. He also wore a neon green jacket, and blue square glasses. In one hand, he clutched a briefcase. The last member of this group was a girl. She wore a gothic style dress made of starch white fabric, and had electric red, straight hair that could have rivaled Mitsuru's.

As per norm, they walked right past Minato, as he was dreaming, when they approached the trembling teenager.

"Are you surprised?" The one who resembled an albino asked. He seemed to be the spokes person of the group. "Truth be told, we all visit this world every night."

"Wh- What are you saying? Who the hell are you?"

The boy in green stepped up. "Didn't mommy teach you any manners? You haven't introduced yourself…" He pulled out a paper from his briefcase, and Minato found himself inching forward to read the small print. "Take a look… Name, address, etcetera. This is you, right?"

The teen looked horrified. "Wha-? Where'd you get this?"

The boy pushed his glasses up, causing them to glint eerily. "Someone's got a grudge against you, and they asked us to get revenge."

"Revenge? What kind of bullshit is this? Who put you up to this?"

"Can't tell ya. We're professionals."

"'Professionals…?' Oh shit! You mean the rumors on the net are true?"

The pale, older, and obvious leader of the group stepped up, closing the distance between himself and the trembling boy before him.

He pulled out a gun.

Minato's eyes widened ever so slightly, the only way he showed his surprise. Civilians weren't supposed to have guns, so where'd he get his?

"H- Hey, wait! I haven't done anything!"

The pale man took another step forward.

"Tell me! What'd I do?"

"That is not our concern." He said in a cold voice. "Your notion of right and wrong is irrelevant. My client's wishes are all that matter. People hear what they choose to hear, and believe what they choose to believe." He raised his weapon.

"N- No! Stay away! Don't get near me!" The teen took off running.

He cocked the hammer. "You squeal so magnificently! Such raw emotion!"

He fired.

…

The girl in the dress took her place at his side. In a voice that was devoid of any life, she stated a simple fact. "He's not dead."

The last remaining member of the group shrugged. "Doesn't matter...we've held up our end of the bargain. Besides, tomorrow this will seem like some random crime."  
>"If there's nothing else…" The pale man stretched. "I'm feeling rather tired."<p>

The trio walked off, and Minato's dream ended.

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~<strong>

**Guess who's not dead? ME! And without the help of the Slave Whip, I posted a chapter... . You know who you are. **

**High School sucks, doesn't it? **

**I have Junior Olympic Qualifiers coming up, meaning I'm going to be more concerned about honing my Saber skills rather than posting here, sorry. I'll do my best. **

**I like this chapter, honestly. It's got Kasumi, Adachi, Souji, and Minato POV's! YAY~~! If you haven't caught on, I like multiple POV's. It helps me get across the message and relay important scenes. Because honestly, how was I going to squeeze Kasumi into the Midnight Channel and Dark Hour Scene? **

**Jeez, a lot happens on the 22****nd**** of June in both games. I thought I'd be able to get in the 23****rd****, too, but then Strega had to come along and be all like, "We make an appearance. Write it." So I made it Minato's dream. **

**EVERYONE. I reached 20 reviews. THIS IS A BIG DEAL, SO WE'RE GOING TO CELEBRATE. I'm having a Persona Dance Party right now! So everyone grab a partner in SEES or the IT and go crazy! **

**Kasumi****: Minato's MINE. HISS… **

…

**My brother was Minato for Halloween…**

…

**I'm done now. Until next time! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: The creepy dude in my Fencing class can't fence, and won't leave me alone. Also, I don't own Persona. Because of that, I can't whip out my Evoker and make the aforementioned creepy dude shut up.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 9<p>

June 23rd

"Remind me again why you dragged me to this dump." Naoto Shirogane grumbled under her breath, obviously not pleased by my choice in venue. "We have work to do. Why on Earth are we here?"

I smirked, looking around. The Junes Food Court was pretty much deserted. "Because I wanted to get out of that God forsaken house, and this is really the only place here that we could go to get food."

"You were out all yesterday!"

"I was doing fieldwork then, this is a break! Now, let's order!" I reached into my pocket, with the intention of bringing out my wallet, only to find air. "Um… Nao…"

Rolling her eyes, my sister gave me a small push. "Go find a table. I'll get us something…"

"Yay! Thank you!" Finding a table wasn't exactly that challenging, as almost no one was there currently. The only people I could see were the High School students we had under suspicion and an elderly cou- Wait just a second. I did a double take, and sure enough, the white haired boy and his friends that had been in the tofu shop yesterday, along with a few others. They were talking about something. Hesitantly, I crept towards them, praying I wouldn't trip over air or my own feet.

The boy who looked like he belonged in a biker gang said something that instantly caught my attention. "Murder, huh?" From there on, I could only catch snippets of what they were saying, as a family of four came in, toting two crying children.

"Anyone hate you…"

"…Always a slight chance… Common grudge…"

"Rise… …In danger!"

Without warning, the brunette boy stood up energetically. "Hell yeah! This time we'll catch him in the act!"

As that was said, the group of five left the area.

"Kasumi, what are you doing crouching behind a trashcan?" Naoto asked, an annoyed look in her gray eyes. "I thought you were finding us a table?"

"Ahaha, yeah, that I was. And there's one right here!" I slid into the table previously occupied by the teenagers. The blue haired girl followed me, putting down the two orders of steak she had been carrying.

"Okay, so why were you hiding behind a trash can?"

I sighed. "Remember those teens you thought might be our culprit?"

"Of course."

"They were just here. I couldn't hear much of what they were saying because of that 'big, happy family' over there, but one guy mentioned murder… and then someone else – what was his name? – said something about 'catching _them _in the act."

"Them?"

"I don't know who that could be… Maybe…"

"And what's this about murder? I don't see the culprit just casually throwing around murder plans in a place like this."

I nodded in agreement. "So… Maybe they aren't the killers, like I said!"

"It's too soon to make that assumption. Let's just wait until after everything with Rise calms down."

"You say that like you're sure Rise's going to be kidnapped…"

"I think it's inevitable at this point. Besides that, if she is, we can observe the behavior of those kids. It might tell us something."

"Ugh, suddenly I'm not hungry. All this talk of murder makes me sick." Clutching my stomach, – and hamming it up slightly – I shoved my steak away from my person.

"What? I paid for that!"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. Surely it wasn't that expensive."

"…I hate you."

"You love me, Nao!"

Her gray eyes bore into my own for a moment before she cracked a small smile, whacking me over the head with her hat. "You're lucky you're my sister. Oh, I haven't told you something yet. I think I'm going to officially be signed on to this case with the Inaba Police Force."

"That so? Why?"

"Well, it's not official yet, but the Police haven't gotten much done, and my boss is losing patience."

"So the great Detective shall descend from on high to cast her righteous judgment upon the lowly Police Force and catch the murderer. Nice."

"Why do I put up with you?" Naoto stood up. "Come on, let's head back."

The walk back to Grandfather's house was spent mostly in silence, until…

"Oomph!" I ran into something hard, falling on my butt as a result.

"Oh crap! I'm sorry!"

Naoto helped me stand up; giving the man I had run into a strange look.

"No harm done… Oh! Hello, Sir Traffic Cop! And Sir… Suspicious- Looking Male Carrying a Camera!" The man was none other than the detective I had seen outside Rise's tofu shop, yet the Camera Man was unfamiliar to me. He had a desperate look in his eyes, like a cornered animal.

"Oh, it's you." Naoto muttered something under her breath that sounded like, 'You know this guy?'

"Yeah, It's me, the figment of your imagination! Um… Who's this?"

"This guy? He's none other than the one who's committed all the crimes around here- Um… I- I mean… Crap, I shouldn't have told you that. C-Can you possibly forget what I just said?"

I exchanged a glance with my sister. "Sure… Come on, Nao." We walked off, casting one last look over our shoulders at the strange man.

"He sure was friendly... And chatty... But still... There's no way he actually happened upon the culprit! There's no way!" I protested once we were out of earshot.

"I agree. That young man didn't look the part of a serial killer, either."

"Well, he did look like he'd been caught doing something wrong, but it didn't look like he was, ya know, a murderer…"

Naoto shook her head. "This is giving me a headache. That, and that Junes food didn't agree with my stomach at all. I blame you."

* * *

><p>The hours flew past in a blur, and before I knew it, I was on the train headed towards Tatsumi Port Island. I peered out the window, wondering if I could get a glimpse of Inaba before it faded into the distance, but the pouring rain shrouded it from view. Groaning, I leaned back on the bench and reviewed what I knew of the case thus far.<p>

1. The killer targets people who've been seen on TV.

2. There have been two murders and several attempts thus far.

3. The group consisting of Souji Seta and some of his friends always seem to show up at the crime scenes.

4. Rise Kujikawa went missing right before I left, even though that Detective claimed to have caught the culprit.

5. We have no idea who the real culprit could be, and the higher ups of the Police Force are getting impatient.

Well _that's_ a lot to go on.

Add that to the fact that I was supposed to be helping rid the world of a bunch of demons that exist in a time that no one knows about with a power that involves shooting myself in the head, and you've got one stressed out Kasumi. I briefly reflected on what was more important to me - helping my sister with the case, or helping Mitsuru (who I barely know) slay demons. It seemed like the Demon slaying would be the obvious choice, as that had the possibility of affecting the world with Apathy Syndrome. But I also had a feeling of loyalty to Naoto, and I was of a lot more help in Inaba then I was in Iwatodai.

Gah! I was getting nowhere.

The train finally arrived at its destination late at night. My phone proclaimed the time to be ten o'clock.

"Hm… I'm starving… I'm sure it wouldn't kill me to stop by that ramen shop I've heard so much about."

Hagakure Ramen was pretty much empty when I arrived, apart from a kid in a Gekkoukan uniform and a tired looking businessman. I placed my order, sliding into an empty bench in the back of the shop. In a matter of minutes, a friendly waiter placed a steaming hot bowl of noodles in front of me. I nodded my thanks and dug in.

"Hi, how are you today? Just one?" Looking up with curiosity, I saw someone enter the shop. He was tall, wearing a crimson double-breasted jacket that fell to his knees, and mousy brown hair poked out from underneath a black beanie. His dark eyes swept through the room once before he took a seat on one of the stools.

There, I stopped paying attention. What some random guy did in a shop like this didn't concern me. That was, until Akihiko entered. The white haired boy I called 'senpai' sat down next to the strange guy.

"I'll have what he's having." He told the chef before turning back to the other. "…How can you eat the same thing all the time, without getting sick of it?"

"Shut up. You always eat that protein shit."

At this, Akihiko 'humphed,' obviously annoyed. They acted how I imagined two brothers or best guy friends would treat each other.

"…You still haven't made up your mind?" Senpai asked.

"…Is that what this is about?"

"We've got five new members. We're more aggressive now." Five new members…? _Is he talking about SEES? _

"I'm not interested."

"Think about it, Shinji. Don't let your power go to waste."

'Shinji' snorted. "My power ain't worth shit."

"Shinji!" Akihiko protested, his voice rising.

"I made up my mind a long time ago. I ain't goin' back."

Shaking his snowy head, the boy responded. "You have to let go of the past. What's done is done. It's time you moved on."

"Hmph… You should talk." Shinji said bitterly.

"What?"

The mysterious boy stood up. "Face it… You're no different than me." Having said that, he left the shop, leaving Akihiko in silence.

* * *

><p>As usual, the television screen flickered to life before Souji's eyes, but this time, it was different. Instead of the blurry image, there was a vivid picture on the screen. It was pink. A lot of pink. The place looked like some sort of club, and in the center was a scantily clad Rise Kujikawa with glowing gold eyes.<p>

"'Maru-Q! Push Risette!' Good evening, good evening! I'm Rise Kujikawa! This spring, one young girl levels up to become a high school idol… Yayyy! So today, I'm gonna celebrate by pushing the limits of Standards & Practices! Does everybody know what time it is? Showtime! Show what, huh? Hmhmhm… E-very-thing! Eee, how embarrassing! Is this too hot for TV! Well, if a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing all the way! I'm gonna bare it all for you! Heehee! Stay tuned!" The screen faded to black, now only showing Souji's shocked face.

"Holy… Shit…"

As usual, Yosuke called soon after, and without a 'hello,' started talking. "Hey, d-did you see Risette on TV? I-Is she serious about baring it all? Is it just me or are these TV shows getting crazier and crazier?"

_Somehow, you sound a little too excited, Yosuke. _

"Let's just rescue her quickly."

"Y-Yeah, exactly. 'Cause I bet her Shadow self is gonna do whatever it wants again. But man… We couldn't prevent the kidnapping this time either… even when we knew who the target would be. That detective from this afternoon was no help at all. I guess we'll have to do everything ourselves… A-Anyways, see you tomorrow!"

The friends hung up, and Souji collapsed onto his futon.

_I guess it's all up to us._

* * *

><p>June 24th<p>

Heading back to school was painfully difficult for me, especially after the horrible lecture Mitsuru had given me that morning about responsibility. It wasn't like I hadn't heard it all before. It was still moderately embarrassing, seeing as all of SEES was staring at me.

Yukari and Fuuka had given me sympathetic glances, and Junpei just laughed at my misfortune. Minato didn't say anything, as was the norm for him, while Akihiko seemed off in his own little world. I assumed it was because of what I had witnessed last night.

Anyway, back to the present, I was walking to Gekkoukan with Junpei and Minato, uncomfortable in the stiff uniform. As we reached the gates, the boy with the hat piped up.

"…Hey, is it just me, or has Yuka-tan been acting weird lately?"

I shrugged helplessly. I didn't know Yukari too well.

"Hm… Yeah…" The blue haired boy nodded.

"Oh, so you noticed it, too? She's been thinking too hard about Tartarus n' stuff. I mean, who cares, right?"

I gave the boy a shove. "You should care!"

"Whoa, Kasumi-chan! Since when have you acted seriously?"

"I'm always serious! I just don't… you know… show it. Besides that fact, Yukari's your friend, and she's stressed out. Doesn't that concern you in the least?"

"Um… No, not really."

"…"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't give me that ellipses, mister! I'm trying to have a civil discussion with you!"

"… You're annoying."

"Good. That means I'm doing my job properly!" That being said, I took off, abandoning my two guy friends.

* * *

><p>Minato smirked as the violet haired girl disappeared, blending into the crowd.<p>

_She sure is… something._

* * *

><p>Hours of interrogation of various citizens had left the younger Shirogane tired, and, if she was being honest, angry. Was there no one who could provide her with the information she needed?<p>

"… Was no use at all…" The sound of something being grumbled under someone's breath attracted Naoto's attention. It was that boy, Souji Seta. He was leaving the gates of Yasogami High looking extremely annoyed. The hat-wearing detective deliberated, trying to decide if she should pursue the boy in secrecy, or speak to him flat out. She figured eventually that spying would only lead to more problems later, leaving her with only one other option. Well, two, technically, if she counted 'ignore the kid' as an option, which she didn't.

"Excuse me!" Naoto was shocked to hear an almost feminine pitch escape her mouth. _I've been around Kasumi for far too long, if I'm letting myself slip out of my speech habits. _She cleared her throat and tried again. "Excuse me."

"…Hm?" The white haired boy glanced over his shoulder to have his gray eyes meet orbs of a similar color. "I recognize you…" He turned the rest of his body. "You're that boy…"

Naoto only dipped her head in reply. "May I speak with you for a few moments? I promise not to take up too much of your _precious _time." She hadn't meant for there to be a sarcastic tone in her voice. Maybe it came back to her time with her sister, or perhaps she just didn't like the boy standing before you.

"Of course," He replied with a dip of his head, and then looked up, gray eyes gleaming. "As long as I'm not wasting any of yours. I'm sure you're very busy."

The detective smirked. "Of course not. It was I who invited you. I wouldn't do such if I found this endeavor to be a _waste of my time._"

"_Of course_ you wouldn't. May I inquire as to why you requested an audience?" Giving credit where credit was due, Souji kept up with Naoto's banter easily. He was obviously intelligent.

"You may. I'm afraid the answer is not very grandiose."

"Grandiose or not, I would like to know the reasoning behind my being summoned by a stranger in the middle of the street."

"Fair enough. I wanted to know what you were muttering so darkly about as you exited your campus. Nothing _troubling _you?" Was the girl still treating him as a possible perpetrator? Despite Kasumi's adamant belief that the teen was innocent, – perhaps even a savior – there was still something not quite right, almost as if he was carrying a huge burden. Whether that burden was the guilt of murder, or the pressures of heroism… This little interrogation might shed light onto that subject.

"I was merely speaking to a boy who claimed to be Risette's biggest fan. I doubted his claim, and wanted to test him. As it turns out, he didn't know nearly as much as he was said to." Souji waved his hand flippantly.

"Ah, I see… So, because of his lack of knowledge, you proclaimed him to be 'no use?'" Naoto's gray eyes sparkled with the triumph only catching a loophole could bring. The white haired boy, in contrast, had a dark look on his face that clearly said, 'Damn you, and your stupid hat, too.'

"You wouldn't, out of curiosity, be investigating the case of Rise Kujikawa, would you?" She asked when Souji failed to respond.

The Yasogami student shut his eyes briefly. "Of course not. I was just hoping to get some information for an editorial, and he proved useless."

"So, why was it necessary to 'test' him, as you stated earlier?"

"To make sure he was reliable?"

Laughing, the detective started to walk away. "You don't sound to sure, yourself. Although impressive, I'd say your 'lying under pressure' skills need work."

Once Souji was out of view, the happiness Naoto felt faded slightly. As fun as that had been, it had given her no new information regarding the murders, and revealed very little about the possibility of the Seta boy as a suspect. It had also been moderately out of character for her. Something about that boy just brought out the more childish side of her that only a person like Kasumi could do.

* * *

><p>"Ouch! Damn, Akihiko-senpai, what the Hell?" I clutched my swollen cheek with the hand that wasn't holding my sword. It was only my second expedition into the Tower, and already I had a bloody lip and several bruises. This current injury hadn't even come from a Shadow.<p>

"He's charmed, Kasumi." Yukari explained, firing an arrow. "He's not in his right mind."

"Well, SOMEONE PUT HIM INTO HIS RIGHT MIND!"

The blue haired boy only smirked at me.

"What is so funny about this situation?" As I spoke, I parried a blow from a Lustful Snake.

"Nothing…"

"Then, stop smirking and start acting like a leader!"

"Whatever." The smile didn't leave Minato's face, but he did obediently pull out his Evoker. "Persona!" One of his many changing Personi – Personas? Personae? – blasted a Shadow back with a strong fire attack, but more kept coming.

Before I could raise my own gun-like object, I found myself once again in battle with a charmed Akihiko.

He punches hard…

It promised to be a long night.

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~<strong>

**What's this? Two days in one chapter? What's this world coming to?**

**I had a horrible case of Writer's Block with this chapter. But here it is, at 3:28 in the morning, finished. Sorry if it isn't up to snuff, but this chapter simply didn't want to be written. It's also relatively short. See my previous excuse as my reasoning. **

**Shinjiro! He made an appearance! Happiness! **

**I must apologize if Souji feels OOC, since this is the first time you really see him do much. But he is my emotionless, personality-less blob, and I can do with him as I will. Why? BECAUSE I HAVE THE PENCIL, THAT'S WHY. Naoto may also be out of character, but I do try. Lemme know whatcha think. **

**Kas's last day in Inaba may seem rushed, but… I have no excuse. Just… Writer's Block sucks. **

**I do have one question/request/thing to add. I might be putting it as a poll on my profile, but probably not as I'm lazy. When Minato does get around to establishing Kasumi's Social Link, (That WILL happen) what Arcana should she be? I've been batting around the idea of both 'World' and 'Fortune,' but I want to know your input, as well… **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Oh yes, I **_**totally**_** own Persona. Yes, I also own Catherine and Devil Survivor! Hell, while you're at it, why not just say I own Atlus? Oh yeah, and I also **_**definitely **_**own Baccano, which I mention in this chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

June 27th

"NO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" I stubbornly clung to the dining table like a little kid to her parent's leg. My two guy friends – namely Minato and Junpei – looked on, their expressions varying from annoyed to amused.

"You have to go to school." The blue haired boy informed me in that apathetic way of his.

"Yeah, he's right. You don't wanna face Mitsuru-senpai's wrath, do you?"

I gulped nervously, but still hung onto the table. "It's worth it. It's been what? A week? I think I've had enough! No more school! Mercy! Mercy!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Junpei sharing an exasperated glance with the Arisato.

"Do ya think we should just leave her here?"

Looking thoughtful, Minato replied. "…We'd be blamed."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. C'mon, Kasumi-chan."

"I DUN WANNA!" Was my excessively loud response.

"We'll be late…" Minato added, as if that would be incentive enough to get me on my feet and out the door.

Growing bored of sitting on the ground, holding onto the leg of the table, I turned my head to ask, "What'll you give me if I go?"

"What'll we what? Are you kidding me?" Shocked, Junpei shook his capped head.

"Because I feel like a trip to the sweets shop."

"We don't have that kind off –"

"Fine." Minato interrupted.

Junpei looked like his wallet had just fallen to the ground in cardiac arrest. "Wha- Dude! We don't have that kind of cash!"

Ignoring the boy's protests, I stood up and dusted off my accursed skirt. "Excellent. We shall go after school! Now, ONWARD!"

* * *

><p>Despite my antics that morning, we weren't the last ones to reach Gekkoukan High. We trailed in behind two gossiping girls.<p>

"Hey, did you hear about those people who were found unconscious recently?" I heard one ask. Apparently, Minato heard it, too, because he cut off Junpei's story with a sharp "Shh…"

"I guess they were all in pairs." The girl continued.

"What, like they were attempting a double suicide?" The other asked casually. The first shrugged.

"I don't know, but if I could pass out with someone I liked, I wouldn't mind being unconscious!" She said in the typical response of any normal teenage girl. Her friend shook her head in exasperation.

"I would mind!"

After that, the girls disappeared into the ever-thinning crowd, and the blue haired boy turned to us.

"Apathy Syndrome."

Oh yeah, I remember that! That's the thing caused by Shadows eating people's souls or whatever! We went over that! It's the whole reason I joined SEES, but with all the murders going on in Inaba, it had been pushed to the back of my mind.

"This have something to do with the full moon coming up?" Junpei asked, almost out of character with his question.

"That's right! Mitsuru told me that whenever a full moon approaches, Apathy Syndrome gets really, really bad." I nodded. "But, why're they passing out in pairs, then?"

Minato shrugged. "Let's just wait and see."

I agreed before starting to walk to class. When we reached our classrooms, we departed, but not before I reminded them of our agreement.

"See ya after school! We have a sweets shop to go to!"

Fuuka let out a small noise of welcome as I slid into my chair next to her.

"Hey." I nodded.

"Running late?" She asked me, and I sighed.

"I don't wanna be here." That earned a small chuckle from the teal haired girl, and a light, sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

Class passed in a blur. I think I might've dosed off one or twice, but if I did, my sleep was dreamless, and before I knew it, the bell was ringing to signal the end of the day.

"YES!" I hopped from my chair. "It's sweet time, baby!"

My shy acquaintance looked confused, opening her mouth to ask a question. It was too late, however, as I was already out the door. I dashed down the hall, stopping in front of class 2-F to lean on the wall across from the door. Soon, my two money bags- I mean friends – emerged. Minato looked apathetic, as per norm, but Junpei wore a look of martyred endurance.

Minato couldn't understand why Junpei was whining so much. Sure, having to buy the hyperactive girl snacks was a bit of a chore, but it could've been a lot worse. Knowing Kasumi, she could have asked for something a lot more outrageous, or more expensive, if you considered it. Ramen, for example, would've been much more painful on their wallets.

* * *

><p>Kasumi was waiting for them when they exited their classroom, arms crossed over her chest, and green eyes alight with excitement.<p>

"Yay! Time for food!" She exclaimed as they started walking.

"You should watch what you eat." Junpei warned. "You'll end up getting fat."

Minato watched with amusement as Kas's eyes widened with horror. So she was a typical girl, after all, shallow enough to worry about things such as her weight and figure.

"I will hurt you, Iori." The girl snapped. "And don't think I don't see you smirking over there, Arisato." That only made the aforementioned Arisato's smirk grow. He reached down to grab his headphones and clipped them onto his ears.

"What're you listening to?" Kasumi's voice was almost drowned by the jazzy song playing, but he was able to read her lips. In answer, he held up his MP3 player.

"Dude! I love that anime!" The song was none other than the opening to _Baccano, _called 'Guns and Roses.'

"What anime?" Junpei, apparently, didn't recognize the title.

"Only the most confusing show ever created ever! The beginning is the end, the end is the beginning, and the middle was thrown into a blinder, but by the time you've finished it, it all makes sense!" _That explanation just about sums it up. _Minato thought wryly.

Calming down slightly, the purple haired girl concluded. "It's called _Baccano._ Watch it some time."

By this time, the group had made it out of the school gates, and was boarding the monorail, bound for Iwatodai Station. From there, they would walk to the Iwatodai Strip Mall. As the doors shut, Minato's MP3 switched to 'When the Moon's Reaching Out Stars.'

Kasumi and Minato took the only two remaining seats, leaving the poor Iori boy to stand.

"There aren't many sweet shops in my home town… And I never really had the money to afford going to this one." The elder Shirogane said suddenly, glancing out the window. "This'll be an interesting adventure, won't it?"

_Sometimes I think she's bipolar. She can go from bouncing off the walls one second to being serious the next. _

"Uh… Sure." Junpei said, also confused by the mood-swinging girl.

The monorail rolled to a stop outside their destination. Kasumi was the first out of her seat. "Let's go. Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

And so the moment of quiet, calm Kasumi Shirogane ended.

* * *

><p>Inside the Sweet Shop was everything I expected and then some. Such delectable aromas surrounded the three of us in a cocoon of happiness. Well, me anyway. I don't imagine the guys had the same feeling about the smell of chocolate.<p>

"Kasumi-chan, I think you're drooling…" Junpei joked, laughing when I immediately went to try and wipe nonexistent slobber off of my chin.

"Have I mentioned that I will hurt you?"

"You mighta brought it up once."

"Well, I wasn't kidding."

Minato just sighed. Oh, how does he put up with me? That, along with 'how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop™,' is the world's greatest mystery.

"What do you want?" He asked as we stood by the counter. So many sweets gazed up at me. There were slices of cakes that would give Junpei's wallet a heart attack, caramel apples, chocolate covered marshmallows… Oh god, the options were limitless. I had to consider this very carefully. I could not afford to make the wrong decision, because this situation may never arise again.

"Hmm…" That chocolate cake looks really good, but so does that… Agh! Screw it! Covered my eyes and pointed with one hand. When I looked, I saw my finger pointing to a large slab of chocolate fudge. "I'll take that amazing looking fudge, _por favor_."

Junpei sighed. From the looks of it, he had been expecting me to choose something extremely expensive. The fudge was only a few hundred yen – not a lot at all. The boy with the cap placed my order, purchasing a couple other snacks for Minato and himself, and we retreated to a table to enjoy.

The blue haired boy went to take a bite of his chocolate covered marshmallow when Junpei extended his hand.

"Hm…?"

"You owe me for half of Kasumi's food, and the cost of yours."

His gray eyes widened slightly.

"C'mon, man, I never agreed to buy you anything."

Reluctantly, the young Arisato coughed up his fair share.

"Okay, it's time to enjoy our extremely fattening delicacies! Though I was looking forward to devouring my food while you two looked on hungrily…" I lifted my large fudge square to my mouth, and was just about to sink my teeth into it…

When my phone rang.

I recognized the ringtone.

With a sigh, I put down my chocolate to reach into my messenger bag. Sure enough, the small display screen was flashing the words _Naoto Shirogane._ I groaned.

"Just a second, guys." Flipping the phone open, I inquired as to why was calling in my worst Italian accent. "Joe's Pizza, how can I help ya?"

"Kasumi, I know it's you." My sister's oddly masculine voice snapped.

"Touchy. Jeez, what's eating you?"

"Your inability to take anything seriously? Look, can I just cut to the chase?"

I leaned back in my chair, waving to my friends to go ahead and start eating. "Yes you may. What's up, Nao?"

"I thought I should inform you that Rise Kujikawa has been discovered, mere days after her kidnapping." At this, I perked up. "She claims she can't remember anything about her disappearance, but she also has an interesting story. You recall the group of teenagers we've been considering suspects?"

"You mean _you've _been considering. What about 'em?"

"Rise _says _they found her on the roof of Junes."

"Wait, really? Shouldn't that clear them of suspicion?"

Naoto sighed, sounding extremely stressed. "It would seem so. But to just happen upon a passed out pop idol on the roof of a department store? And without any kind of confrontation between a kidnapper?"

"Are the police buying her story?" I asked, forgetting I had an audience.

"They don't seem particularly suspicious. That brings me to another point. My higher ups have officially signed me onto the case. I'm on my way to meet the force now."

I let my head slump onto the table. My forehead narrowly missed the fudge. "Be careful, Nao."

"Don't worry about me." With that, she hung up.

"What was that about?" Minato asked, showing interest for maybe the first time in the time I've known him.

"Just family issues. Nothing to worry about.

Junpei seemed to buy it, but the blue haired boy seemed slightly suspicious.

"Would the police buy that story?" He arched an eyebrow – the only one I could see due to his bangs.

"Ummm…" _Crap, they were listening to all of that. Way to go, Kasumi. Way to be smart. _"J- just don't worry about it, okay. I'm just helping my si- brother figure something out." I still wasn't sure whether to call Naoto my sister or brother around others. "Look, thanks for the fudge. I'm gonna take it home with me and be off."

* * *

><p>"Be careful, Nao." Kasumi's words still rung in her ears as she entered the police headquarters. <em>Please. There's nothing to be worried about. <em>The incognito girl made her way to the office of one of the higher ups. She hadn't bothered learning the name, simply following the finger of the secretary.

The door to the office was ajar, and she could hear voices from inside. Naoto may have been an Ace Detective, but she was also young, and, by definition, nosy. Before she entered, she crept closer, silently in order to listen in on the conversation.

"His name is Shirogane, Naoto." One masculine voice said. "He's solved a good number of cases."

"We don't need the help of the damn prefectural police!" Another snapped, sounding angry. "I know we haven't made much progress, but that doesn't mean we won't! We don't need them butting in on our business!"

"Whoa, Dojima-san! Calm down!" The third, almost familiar voice tried to quell 'Dojima's' anger.

"Do not tell me to calm down!"

"Detective Dojima!" The first barked. "This department has made absolutely no progress on the serial murder case since April! We should accept what help we can get!"

Naoto smirked. She figured now would be an opportune time to make her presence known. "Excuse me," She said, pushing open the door. "Pardon my intrusion, but the door was open."

"Who's this kid?" A man, who appeared to be in his early to mid thirties, erupted. He was the voice that had been addressed as 'Dojima.'

Being called a kid annoyed the girl to no end, but she kept her cool. "I beg your pardon. My name is Naoto Shirogane. I've been assigned to assist you on this case."

The youngest of the three men's eyes widened with absolute shock. The younger Shirogane could practically read his mind. She imagined his thoughts were something along the lines of _"What? But this kid's gotta be in high school! He's the Ace Detective we're dealing with?" _

"You appear shocked. I hope I will be able to prove my worth to you." Naoto turned to the older man at the desk. "As you know, I was sent here by the Prefectural Police as 'special investigational support.' It is my honor and pleasure to work with you all. Being an aid to you in this mystery is it's own reward. As long as I can be of assistance in this difficult case, I will not require any sort of prize." Naoto knew that would impress at least the elder man, and sure enough, his eyes lit up at the prospect of having an 'employee' that did not require pay. The young detective's statement only seemed to anger Dojima even more.

"We would be extremely grateful for your help, Detective Shirogane." The balding man extended his hand for a handshake, which Naoto obliged.

"There's no trouble in it at all. With the deductions I've already made, coupled with your help, I'm positive we will be able to crack this case and catch the killer."

At this, Detective Dojima stormed from the office, slamming the door behind him. The young male detective followed after him uncertainly with a cry of, "Dojima-san, wait!"

Naoto only smirked.

* * *

><p>Dinner with Nanako was oddly quiet that evening, not that Souji was complaining. Everything hurt from his battle with Rise and Teddie's Shadows. Who knew that hollow little bear would have a hidden side like everyone else? The white haired boy also had a pounding headache from an overload of stage lights and pink walls. It was enough to insure Souji never stepped foot in another strip club as long as he lived. Not that all of them would be crawling with monsters, but still…<p>

The sound of the door sliding open shocked the Seta boy out of his thoughts.

"He's back!" Nanako exclaimed, excited. Her excitement didn't last when there came a _thunk_ and a string of curses.

"Whoa, there! Careful now, Dojima-san!" That was Adachi. Souji recognized the voice.

"Ow! Dammit, who put a shtep here?"

_By the sound of it, he's drunk... _

"That'd be the carpenters, Sir. C'mon, don't take your anger out on the house. That won't solve anything." With that, Adachi and Dojima appeared, the latter being supported by the former.

"Whooooo! I'm hoooome! Nanako, I'm baaaack!"

"W- welcome back." Nanako seemed nervous, and I didn't blame her.

Adachi sighed. "Oh, hi Nanako-chan. Sorry, but could you go get his futon ready? Phew! I think he had a little too much to drink… Haha." The young girl nodded and disappeared into Dojima's room.

"How else **hic** am I supposed to deal with this crap?" Souji's drunken uncle exclaimed. "Friggin' fancy talkin' kid… I've… I've been in this line'a work… since you were all learnin' your times tables!"

The other detective explained. "The prefectural police sent in special investigational support. 'Cause you know, we haven't really made any progress on the serial murders since they started in April… Haha. So this "special support" is supposedly a hotshot detective from a well-known private agency… But you should've seen the look on my face when I met him! He's only a kid your age! I hear he's a pretty sharp cookie, though."

Souji's mind instantly flew to the strange, hat-wearing boy he'd met several times previously. That kid always seemed involved in the murders.

Dojima hiccupped again. "Awww, he's a brat like any other. Ain't nothin' he can do to help. **hic** He goes on and on about deductions and… deductions… Heh.

Ace or no ace, the prefeckshure oughtta be more careful about giving us brats to babysit… Condes… Condescendin' bashtards… **hic**."

"The kid said, as long as he can be of assistance in solving a difficult case, he won't require a reward. Well, you can imagine the shine the higher-ups took to him after that. So we can't exactly turn him down…" Adachi added, which angered the already irate Dojima.

"Adachi!"

"Gah! Sorry! Me and my big mouth…"

"You run your jaw like this is all shome kinda joke… It's your fault to begin with, for jumping the gun and hauling in that Peeping Tom!"

_Oh yeah… Him… Hehe… _Souji rubbed the back of his neck nervously, remembering the guy they had believed to be the killer. They should have known better.

"And you!" The Seta boy jumped when his uncle rounded on him. "You'cn take your share of the blame, too… Always wandering around crime scenes whenever somethin' happens…"

Nanako came in just in time, though, saving the boy from a long lecture.

"His futon's ready."

The young detective helped his boss into his bedroom before exiting the house. Nanako turned to an exasperated Souji.

"Sure does stink like sake in here…"

"That it does… C'mon, let's get you up to bed."

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~<br>**

**Hehe… Drunken Dojima makes my spell check freak out. **

**Okay, yes, I know I haven't updated in quite a while. I'm sorry. Life has been determined to screw me over with schoolwork and crazy girls determined to embarrass me and ruin my social life. Fun times~! Gotta love High School drama~~**

**I had to resort to a time skip because I had no clue on how to start off this chapter. Because **_**nothing happens. **_** I mean, the first half of this is Minato/Junpei/Kasumi friendship filler. It seems all the important stuff will happen on the same day of both games, and then there are long gaps of nothing.  
><strong>

**Kasumi: ****I feel like I wasn't in this chapter very much… You must not love me as your OC anymore… **

**The voting for Kasumi's Arcana is still open, so leave your opinion in a review. **

**I promise to get the next chapter out sooner. **

**P.S. DOUBLE DIGITS! **

**P.P.S I mentioned Baccano in this chapter. If you haven't seen it, you should go check it out. Be warned. It's bloody and violent…**


	11. Chapter 11

**~A/N~ Based off the votes left in reviews, it seems 'Fortune' is most popular for Kasumi's Social Link. Thanks for your input.**

**Disclaimer: I'm running out of witty ways to tell you people that I don't own Persona… So…**

**Luka Megurine****: I can help. Nicole doesn't own Persona. She also would like to point out that the only reason I'm doing the disclaimer is because she was listening to my song 'Go Google It' as she wrote this.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

June 27th (The Dark Hour)

By the time I had reached the staircase, my legs were literally shaking. The others in our party – namely, Yukari and Akihiko – looked fine, which really pissed me off. Why was I the only one struggling to even breathe? Sure, they've been doing this for longer, but still! It just wasn't fair!

As the obviously more fit teenagers climbed to the next floor, I paused at the bottom step.

"You okay, Kasumi?" Akihiko glanced back.

Not wanting to look weak, especially not in front of my senpai, I just shrugged. "I'm fine. Just… Um, yeah… I'm coming." There was no way in hell I'd ask Minato if we could go back. I tightened my grip on the sword I had borrowed from the Arisato and continued after my friends.

This next floor had a different feel about it that I couldn't seem to place. Fuuka, apparently, felt something special about the place, too, but we couldn't determine what it was. That is, until the first Shadow appeared.

"A rare form!" Fuuka gasped. "See if you can't destroy it."

It was…

A shiny, golden hand.

With a face.

I should just stop being surprised at the forms Shadows can take.

Without waiting for orders, I charged forward, swinging my blade into the creature's side. The metal only glanced off, not even a scratch on the thing's shiny body to show for my strike.

"Huh? Slash attacks don't work…"

Akihiko and Yukari both used their weapons to attack, neither of which did any damage.

"Argh, this is unfair!" I whined.

"Analyze that thing!" The blue haired boy commanded.

"Okay, I'll try to…"

Minato pulled out his Evoker, placing the gun-like object to his temple, but before he could pull the trigger, the Shadow fled.

"Aw, it got away…" My voice nearly gave my exhaustion away.

"Let's go after it!"

As it turns out, the floor we had stumbled upon was crawling with these so-called 'rare forms.' They were, literally, everywhere. It was another ten minutes before we heard from Fuuka again outside of battle.

"What… What's this strange feeling…?" The disembodied voice sounded troubled. "I think I sense Death!"

"You sense what now?" While I was still questioning what was going on, my teammates had taken off down the corridor. "Wait, where are you going?"

"To find the stairs! Come on!" Yukari yelled.

"And more running…"

I managed to catch up with everyone. Falling in step with Minato, I let out a raspy cough, instead of the question I had been trying to form. "Ach! Do you… ach… wanna tell me exactly from what… ach, ach!... we're running from?"

"Death."

"Wanna be more specific?"

"Hurry and find the stairs! The presence is getting closer!" The Yamagishi girl sounded really worried.

"Is it the same as before?"

"I think so."

"And I still don't know what either of you are talking about! Fancy that!" My words were greeted with the rattling of chains.

At that point, apparently, the others had found our escape route. It was Yukari's voice that rang out. "There's an access point down this hall! I can see the light!"

"Come on!" The blue haired boy grabbed my wrist and started running again, the sound of chains making an ominous harmony with our rushed footsteps.

Okay, so you know how sometimes in animes or movies, when the protagonist is running from something, the roof will suddenly become ten miles long? That's exactly how it felt as we were running from this entity. (That I still didn't have a name for, by the way.) It seemed as if this hallway had added a few extra yards to its length, just to screw with me.

The four of us finally reached the green, glowing access point. Minato dropped my wrist, spinning around. His hand flew to his Evoker. "Everyone get out."

My curiosity won over my common sense, causing me to creep up behind the Arisato. From over his shoulder, I had a clear view of the thing we had been running from.

And it was damn frightening.

The thing that was slowly making its way down the corridor had to be at least seven feet tall. Dark shrouds folded over its body, red blotches staining the fabric down the front. The chain noises I had heard earlier were explained by the heavy, iron manacles draped across the things shoulders. I couldn't see its face, for a bloody cloth covered any features that may have been discernable. In each hand, it clutched four-foot long revolvers.

"Death…" I now understood the name our leader had given to me when I had inquired about this thing's identity. Surely, there was no other name for this monstrosity that was practically on top of us.

"C'mon, Kasumi! Minato!"

I didn't have to be told twice. I dashed over to stand by Akihiko as he prepared to step onto the access point.

"Minato!" Yukari called again. "We've already proven we can't beat that thing!"

Gray eyes met brown ones for what felt like an eternity, before the gray ones closed. Minato nodded.

The four of us piled onto the access point not a moment too soon. The green light covered my vision just as the crack of a very large gun being fired echoed in my ears.

When I could see again, it was to find myself sprawled across the cool floor of the entrance hall.

"Well, that was horrifying." The brunette groaned somewhere above me. She had remained on her feet. So had everyone else, if the sound of footsteps was any indication.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Man, I thought you guys were done for!"

"Do you want to continue exploring?"

I opened my mouth with every intention of telling them all why they were insane if they thought I would go back into that hell-hole, but all that came out was a horrible cough. That cough refused to let up until it felt as though I would surely expel a lung from my sore throat.

"We'll take that as a 'no,' then…"

* * *

><p>June 28th<p>

Minato had thought a healthy Kasumi was bad. It was nothing compared to a sick one. And guess who was left to take care of her? That's right. He was. It was a Sunday, so it was no real problem for the violet haired girl to stay home, but they couldn't just leave her there alone. However, just a taste of 'Unwell Kasumi's' attitude had everyone, even timid Fuuka, claiming they had urgent plans. Minato, having already stated before that he had no plans, was stuck on babysitting detail.

_I could be leveling my_ _Hermit Social Link right now. I wonder what Maya'll do when I don't show up… More importantly, what extra power am I missing out on? Oh great, now why is she glaring at me? _From her sick bed that was the couch in the lounge, Kasumi glowered at the boy sitting across from her.

"…Yes?"

"I'm hungry. It's lunch time." Her voice was barely audible, and as soon as she got those two sentences out, the girl doubled over in a coughing fit. Minato couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy.

Which was quickly squashed when he realized Kasumi expected him to cook for her. He sighed, getting up to march to the kitchen. He arched one eyebrow as if to ask, 'What do you want?'

_Please be something simple._

"Ramen."

_Oh, thank god. _

Ramen took almost no effort to prepare, so it was without a grumble that the blue haired boy pulled out a packet of the really cheap brand and set it to cook. Two minutes later, he poured the noodles into a bowl that he handed to Kasumi.

The girl lifted her chopsticks to her nose to take a sniff of the noodles that hung on the wood. She let out a disgruntled snort.

"…What now?"

"This is beef. I wanted pork."

Minato was seconds away from defenestrating **(Defenestrate: to throw out of a window. It's a word) **the infuriating girl. Just as he was about to consider opening his mouth for a very out-of-character rant, Kasumi began to eat the ramen without complaint.

"Hm. It's good."

"Of course."

They lapsed into silence then. That was naturally the case. Kasumi couldn't speak if she wanted to, and Minato most definitely didn't want to make any sort of conversation whatsoever.

Having finished her stereotypical lunch, the violet haired girl reclined on the couch, pulling her blanket up over her head, effectively making a little cave for herself. The boy smiled slightly at the sight. He reached for his headphones. As a soft song started playing, his cell phone vibrated.

_Thank you. _The message contained just those words from the number he'd saved in his phone a few days ago, after the girl had begged for her school mates numbers in case she had to get in touch with anyone. 'Kasumi S.'

He glanced with amusement at the lump seated on the couch, the light of a phone screen visible beneath the blanket.

_You're welcome. _

_Why can I picture you saying that with an obnoxious smirk on your face? _

_I am smirking. _

_I hate you. And I think this is the longest conversation we've ever had. _

_Probably._

_Yeah… So… Yeah, thanks again for the ramen and stuff… It was nice to have someone take care of me for once. _

_You're welcome. …For once? _

Kasumi was taking her sweet time in responding. Minato saw the blanket/lump shift as if the person it concealed was fidgeting.

_Yeah. I've been living away from home for a few years. _

Minato sighed, snapping his phone shut. The sound of coughing from the blanket on the couch signaled for him to get up. Kasumi would be needing something to drink. He would rather get it on his own accord than be yelled at to do it later. Well, she definitely wouldn't yell. It'd probably be more like a raspy vocalization, but either way, it wouldn't be pleasant.

"Here." He held out orange bottle to the lump. On queue, a purple head popped out of the cocoon. Dark green eyes peered out from under long bangs.

"Stop touching me!"

"…I'm… not?"

The girl glared with obvious distaste. Clearing her throat with obvious difficultly, she explained, "You're touching the ground, which is touching the couch… ach… which I'm touching…" Here, she paused to gasp for air. The sentence that was longer than three words was taking its toll on her. "So, by the transitive property of equality, you're touching me!"

_Has the fever finally gotten to her brain? I don't know, this isn't much different than how she normally acts… _Minato put the bottle down and put one of his hands on her forehead, the other one going to his own. _She certainly feels like the fever's gotten worse… _

He sighed. Kasumi yawned, leaning back to curl up on her side. Hopefully, she'd go to sleep, and he'd catch a break from babysitting detail.

"Has anyone told you you're awesome…? 'Cause you are… ahem… and you have blue hair… Nao has blue hair." Kasumi's voice was barely audible. The blue haired boy had to take his headphones off of his ears to hear her. "And I miss Nao… And the hat… Yeah… it's mostly the hat…"

Yes, the fever was definitely affecting her thought process. However, delusional or not, it was interesting to hear about Kasumi's sibling she seemed so fond of. With the small smile that graced the apathetic boy's features came the sound of shattering glass. The world seemed to freeze around him. Any other – normal - person would probably have freaked out at this point. Minato wasn't exactly normal, however, and was more than used to the voices in his head.

"_Thou art I… and I am thou… Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fortune Arcana." _

_A new Social Link, huh? I guess today hasn't been too much of a waste, after all._

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~<br>Okay, so it's short and filler… I just wanted to get something out before our "Official Midterm Examinations that will count for 25% of our grade." Pfft. Don't hate me for the short upload… m(_ _)m**

**Kas's 'illness' is an exaggeration of what most of my family has caught recently. That was my inspiration for this, actually. Hehe, I'm using my family's pain for personal gain… I'm a bad person, aren't I?**

**So yeah… This is all filler, but whatever. Minato POV WHEEEEEEE! **

**Also, I'm trying to get my friend to start an Ouran High School Host Club fiction with me, but she keeps getting distracted. We both have great ideas and she's expressed several times being very excited to start writing… but she needs motivation. Well? Motivate her! **

**Until next time, (if I don't fail my midterms) thanks for the reviews and alerts~!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **

**Given- Nicole is not rich**

**Prove- Nicole does not own Persona**

**Suppose Nicole is rich. Then, by the theorem that states that owners of big gaming companies have lots of money, Nicole is rich. However, this goes against the given that Nicole is not, indeed, rich. Therefore, the supposition that Nicole owns Persona is false. Nicole does not own Persona.**

**Oh yeah, disclaimer with an indirect proof! …I've been studying too much geometry.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

June 29th

I jerked awake, images of horrible creatures – shinigami – still fresh in my mind. My arms and legs flailed wildly, tangling in the blanket previously draped over my body. Almost incoherent words, such as 'Naoto,' 'Kira,' and 'notebook' spewed from my mouth at a dizzying speed. Adrenaline still left over from the nightmare pumped through my veins.

"Kasumi?" Someone's shocked voice brought me back to reality. I sat up and turned my head slightly to see every other member of the dorm sitting around the breakfast table. All eyes were on me and my pitiable display.

"K-Kasumi? Are you all right?" said Yukari. I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm my erratic heartbeat, before answering.

"Yeah… That was the craziest dream… Naoto was L! The world's greatest detective, working on the Kira case! And Souji was there! You guys don't know Souji, but that's okay… Anyway, he was Light! Which means he was Kira, and no one suspected a thing but Naoto, who knew the truth!" At this point, I think everyone was thoroughly confused. "And you guys were there! You were all members of the Task Force. I'm not even going to go into how confusing that was! And we were all trying to solve the case! And then… And then…" My voice stuck in my throat. I'd like to blame it on the leftover effects of my illness, but I had just blurted out a _lot _without any protest from my throat.

"And then what happened?" Shy Fuuka inquired softly.

"…Episode twenty-five happened…" With that, I fell silent, adjusting my position on the couch.

"I think the dream was just an effect of the fever." Mitsuru commented after a while. I sighed. Of course it had just been a fever dream.

_What, did you think it was something else? Like a psychic premonition? _

_Well… Maybe! I mean, Naoto _did _play the part of the World's Greatest Detective. And Souji was Kira… _

_And you think that because of that, Naoto's suspicions are correct? Get real! It was probably just your subconscious, because you've been hearing your sister's accusations for so long!_

_What about that part about my dorm mates being the Task Force? Does that mean they're somehow involved with the incidents in Inaba? _

_Kasumi! You're analyzing a dream brought on by an extremely high fever! You are _completely _insane!  
><em>

"You're just a voice in my head, so shut up!"

"Uhmm… Kasumi-chan?"

Fantastic! Now they all think I'm crazy! My cheeks burned with shame at my outburst. "Um… I'm just gonna... go back to sleep now… and, um, sleep off the rest of this… fever. Yeah… Goodnight." I slowly sunk back into the couch, blanket covering my head in embarrassment. I could hear muffled laughter from several people.

* * *

><p>It was about noon.<p>

I was bored.

Oh, so bored.

Now, what does one Kasumi do when she finds herself in a position where there is absolutely nothing to do? Well, naturally, she calls her younger sister to bug the crap out of her!

"Is this important, Kasumi?" Were the first words out of the blue haired Shirogane's mouth when she answered the phone.

"Um… Define important."

Naoto sighed. "I don't have times for your antics."

"Wait! I just wanted to know if you've made any progress on the case! I'm just finishing up with an illness, and I couldn't be more bored! I almost want to go to school!"

"Although I appreciate your eagerness to continue your studies, I regret to inform you that no particularly important discoveries have been made." The girl hesitated. "Actually, it's been unusually quiet around here."

It was my turn to sigh. "I know what you mean. It's been absolutely dull in Port Island, too… You should come for a visit sometime. I think you'd like my dorm mates."

Naoto gave a small laugh. "Perhaps I should… After, of course, we make more progress on the case."

With a groan, I leaned back on the couch, setting comfortably on the cushions. "Someone shoot me now, before I die of boredom. I wish I had my laptop…"

* * *

><p>Dinner was a quiet affair that night, and the group disbanded without many words shared between them. That was fine with Yukari. She had something she needed to do that night, involving the teal haired girl standing across from her. Lights from the computer monitors that filled the command room illuminated their meeting.<p>

Yukari took a deep breath – she had to start somewhere. She only hoped Fuuka would agree to help her. "Sorry to bother you, Fuuka…"

"It's okay. What's on your mind?"

"Well, um…" The brunette fidgeted. "I was hoping you could do me a favor with your skill." The small girl didn't interrupt, so Yukari kept going. "I was doing some research on our school, and I came across something strange… Ten years ago, a lot of students missed school for some reason. They were reported as absent, but I found some records that suggest it was something serious. Do you know anything about it, Fuuka?"

"Me? Um… Not really."

"I know it was a long time ago, but...doesn't it seem suspicious to you? From what I've heard, this isn't the first time Shadows have appeared."

"Wait, are you saying…" Fuuka trailed off, apparently not sure how to continue.

"I don't know, but I wonder… and I'm not trying to make trouble, but… Mitsuru-senpai acts kinda weird whenever someone asks questions about Tartarus." What Yukari had noticed was not as obvious to the other girl.

"Does she?"

_I have to know…_

"I just wanna know what happened back then. If it doesn't have anything to do with the Shadows, then fine."

"…I understand. Okay, I'll see what I can do."

At that moment, had either girl looked back, they would have noticed a pair of forest green eyes gleaming curiously from behind a cracked open door.

* * *

><p><strong>July 3<strong>**rd**

Days had passed since I overheard Yukari and Fuuka's conversation in the Command Room. As I walked to school with Minato, I replayed the events. After dinner, I noticed the brunette get Fuuka's attention and slip upstairs. Curiosity had gotten the best of me, so, as any good not-really-a-detective detective would do, I followed them! The conversation that came after was quite interesting, as was Yukari's favor. Over the weeks I had been staying in the dorm, I learned that Fuuka had a good amount of skill with the computer, not unlike myself. It makes sense that she would be the first person Yukari turned to – She had known her longer, and, if I'm being honest, Fuuka is much more trustworthy than I. Even so, it hurt that my skills were not enlisted for this task. It was at that end that I promised to help Fuuka however I could while remaining anonymous.

Minato grabbing my shoulder brought me back to reality.

"What?" I asked, wanting to know why we had stopped in front of the gate. He took one headphone off his ear and angled his head towards a pair of gossiping girls.

"Last time I was out with my boyfriend, he was heading towards Shirakawa Boulevard!" One proclaimed loudly.

"Whoa, Shirakawa Boulevard? Eww… I know what was on his mind!" Her friend chimed. Wait, what was so bad about Shirakawa Boulevard? I've been living here for three years, and I don't know about this place! I was now curious to hear their conversation, though I still couldn't figure out for the life of me why my companion would be interested in a conversation such as this.

"We just started dating, but I'm already kind of disgusted. He's got such a dirty mind... Maybe I should dump him. I don't want to be the subject of one of those rumors that goes, 'A couple was found unconscious...'"

The friend laughed again, then the two girls disappeared.

I shot my own friend a confused look before heading off to class.

* * *

><p><strong>June 6<strong>**th**

_Well, this has reached a whole new level of 'Awkward.' _I sighed, drumming my fingers on the linoleum table of the Sweet Shop. The blue haired boy across from me sipped his drink with an air of being completely at ease with the situation.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat, ready to make another jab at a conversation. "The moon'll be full tomorrow…"

The only reaction I got was a nod. Angrily, I mutilated bits of my brownie with my index finger. "I honestly don't what to expect…"

A shrug. "The usual."

"The usual? Elaborate on that." _Why'd he even ask me to come here? _

"Giant Shadows outside of Tartarus."

"And that's it? D'ya think it'll be hard? We've been training for a while now…"

Another shrug. "We're prepared."

And with that, the silence encroached on us again. Minato seemed perfectly content to just sit there and sip his damn chocolate milkshake, while _I_ was plagued with feelings of awkwardness. I wondered idly why people always asked to go places with the silent boy. It couldn't be the stimulating conversation he has to offer. I slumped in my seat, before a sly idea crept into my head. A mischievous smirk stretched across my face as I rose from my chair without a word.

…Okay, so my idea wasn't the best in the world, and was sure not going to make Minato like me any more, but I couldn't resist! The opportunity was perfect! His only reaction to my sudden appearance behind him was a questioning tilt of his head. The one eye I could see gleamed curiously at me.

"Oh, just ignore me… I'm only… STEALING YOUR HEADPHONES!" And with that, I was gone, my prize – silver clip-on headphones and an attached MP3 player, dangling in my fists.

"H-Hey!" It was too late, of course. I was already out the door. I sprinted down the spiral staircase of the strip mall, not stopping until I had reached the bottom level. I quickly slipped the phones over my own ears and jammed my finger onto the play button. At once, familiar, peppy music started playing.

Really peppy.

Like, _really peppy. _

I couldn't help it. I just started laughing. The song that had begun to play was just so not what you would expect from the silent Minato Arisato.

"Ahaha! HAHA! Hah! Ahaha...! Haha… Hah… Oh, hi…" I stared at the hand that was outstretched to me for a few seconds before promptly giving it a high-five. "I approve of your music selection."

"My headphones, please."

I pouted. "But I don't wanna…"

"Kasumi…" His piercing gray gaze practically screamed 'murder.'

"Ugh… Fine."

_I don't care how awkward today started out to be. It was totally worth those few seconds of pure amazing-ness._

* * *

><p><strong>July 7<strong>**th**

"Any luck, Fuuka?" Akihiko asked. We were currently standing around the teal haired girl and her large Persona as she scanned the area. I was practically bouncing in excitement at my first Full Moon assignment.

"…Just a moment… I found it! I sense a strong presence!"

Junpei seemed impressed. "Hey, we were right!"

Our Chairman, who I haven't seen much of lately, mused. "Or so it would seem."

"It's located in Iwatodai… Inside a building in Shirakawa Boulevard."

That name again… My curiosity was piqued, and so, apparently, was Ikutsuki's.

"Hmm… Shirakawa Boulevard. They've been finding the Lost in pairs recently. Now I understand why."

"In pairs…" Mitsuru's voice started out inquisitive, then switched to distain as she made some sort of connection. "Oh, I get it."

Fuuka dismissed her Persona, tilting her head. "Why? What's in Shirakawa Boulevard? I'm not familiar with the area."

I nodded. "Yeah, I've lived here for a long while, and I have no clue what's so special about this place."

Yukari sighed. "I've heard about it, but…"

"That's where THOSE hotels are! That explains a lot." That was Junpei, our resident pervert. When he said that, my eyes widened. A silent 'Oh' formed on my lips. Fuuka, however didn't seem to get it, so the hat wearing boy elaborated. "You've heard about 'em, right, Fuuka? Where people go to … you know…" The hand motions he used to try and display the 'you know' didn't help me from falling into a laughing fit as Fuuka turned beet red.

"Nonsense." Ikutsuki stepped up. "They're no different than ordinary hotels. The rooms are just a bit fancier, that's all."

"Aw man, that's it?"

"Ahahah, why do you sound so disappointed, Junpei?" I cleared my throat, and then turned to Mitsuru. "Creepy hotels or not, I wanna go! I have to go! You can't make me not go! I demand to be on the party!"

"All right, you can go."

"YESH!"

"So, who's going to take the lead?" Yukari asked.

"Arisato. I see no reasons to change leaders now. And Yamagishi, I want you to handle support during the operation."

"I'll do my best!"

Akihiko nodded. "All right, then we'll let Minato decide on the rest of the team. Let's do this."

Minato summoned for Yukari and Akihiko, and we were off.

The hotel we arrived at gave off an evil air that could rival Tartarus, but maybe that's because it was currently occupied by some dark, demented Shadow. The plush carpets lining the floors of the hall would've seemed really inviting, had they not been covered with blood, and the creatures crawling around the area didn't help with the impression.

"I sense a powerful presence on the third floor! Please head there immediately." Our leader nodded, taking us through a route that avoided the lesser Shadows. Before I knew it, we were standing outside of the large, elaborate double doors of some fancy suite.

"I sense a large Shadow behind that door. Are you ready?"

As a response, Minato pushed open the door, and in we went.

The thing that stood before me was almost impossible to describe. It was just _that _hideous. Here I was thinking some of the normal Shadows were bad. This… This was a monstrosity, plain and simple. Its body was that of an excessively fat man wearing priest robes of some assortment. On either side of it stood two ivory crosses, which seemed kind of superfluous. Behind the fat man was what really made my skin craw. A naked woman, with some sort of twisted tree- antenna- sea sponge _thing_ as a head, stood there, rubbing the main Shadow's face.

"Ugh…"

"Why here of all places?" I honestly couldn't understand Yukari's strong distaste for our current location. I mean, sure, it was creepy, and had a – ahem – bad reputation, but still! "Well, let's get this over with!"

We were launched into battle immediately. Minato started out by summoning one of his many Personae to shoot an arrow at the thing, which, by the way, did next to no damage. Yukari followed up with a blast of wind to the face, also doing little damage. I ran forward myself and put my Evoker to my temple. I thought it would be a good idea to cast Zio on the Hierophant. It wasn't.

The arc of lightning issuing from my hooded Persona reflected off the fat Shadow and back at me, doing minimal damage. "Ow, Electricity… Bad idea." I was still tingling from the static shock, so I almost missed Akihiko using his Persona to punch the thing in the face.

The thing laughed, a high-pitched squeal from the woman, and a low chortle from the man, morphing into a horrible combination, and lighting struck the four of us. Now, Minato apparently blocked it, and Akihiko and I both were strong against the spell, but Yukari took a lot of damage, being knocked to her feet. Minato promptly responded with a mass-healing spell. Invigorated, Yukari rose to her feet, but was unable to attack.

The battle went on like that. Akihiko and I ended up doing the most damage, as we could withstand the electrical attacks thrown at us, while Minato focused on keeping Yukari alive. It probably had been a mistake to bring her. However, it was too late now, and there had been no way for us to know that the enemy would use Zio attacks.

It seemed like only a few minutes – and several critical hits from Akihiko – when we had worn the Hierophant down. It slumped over; looking like a few good, solid hits would be enough to finish it off. I pulled out my Evoker, palms sweating slightly as I put the cool metal to my temple. A blast of fire issued out of Hestia's lantern, smacking the Shadow in the gut.

"Sweet! Almost there."

Another creepy laugh from the enemy, and the hotel room was filled with fog. The place became like a cemetery, coffins and dead trees and the like. It was, I will freely admit, horrifying. I felt my throat close with fear. I couldn't move. My sword slipped from my hands with a metallic clatter. The rest of the fight was a blur to me, and before I knew it, the Hierophant was dissolving into red and black shadows – the normal kind, not the kind that want to eat our souls.

I blinked as the last of my fear evaporated. "That was our Full Moon battle I've been dreading all this week? Kinda anti-climactic."

"Good job." Fuuka congratulated us as a disembodied voice. "You succeeded once again. I'll be waiting for you outside."

We turned to follow Minato as he put his hand on the doorknob and gave a sharp push. When nothing happened, he tried again.

"It won't budge…" He muttered, as if the door had done him a personal offense.

"…Huh? I still sense a Shadow in that room! It's not the same one you defeated, but… Where is it hiding?"

_I take back that whole 'anti-climactic' thing… Stupid Universe. _

With those cheerful thoughts, the four of us spread throughout the large suite, looking in closets, behind curtains… I even went so far as to look underneath the bed, like a child checking for monsters.

"Guys…" Minato started. I turned, to find him peering at a large mirror on the wall. Cautiously, I approached him and it, staring at my slightly pink-tinted reflection.

"Does anyone else think this mirror's really, _really _weird?" I asked. I immediately began to regret saying that, because as soon as the words escaped my lips, my head started to become foggy. The room blurred, white creeping around my vision.

* * *

><p>Has Minato ever mentioned that he hated dreams? Even now, in this reality, it had a dreamlike air that clouded his thoughts and made his mind feel fuzzy. Not the newborn kitten fuzzy, but the I-don't-know-what-that-person-slipped-into-my-drink fuzzy. He loathed the feeling.<p>

His gray eyes opened to find himself in one of the hotel's many luxurious bedrooms, on the bed, with the steady sound of a shower running in the bathroom.

…_The hell? Wait, why am I here again? _

…_Doesn't matter… _

_Does it? I can't remember._

The boy heard a voice, then. It wasn't the friendly voice he came to associate with Social Links, but a different one, filled with sickeningly sweet venom – If that made any sense.

_Embrace your desire… I am the voice of your inner self… Enjoy the moment… That which cannot be felt is merely a dream… The present is all we have. _

_That… makes sense… _

_The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication… Let your desire free you from your shackles… such is my wish… _

_It's really tempting… But…_

_Pleasure is what you truly want. __You stand before the doorway to bliss. You cannot deny your instincts...embrace your desire... _

_Wait… I had a reason for coming here. That reason was important. Now is not the time to listen to creepy voices… Even if they do make sense… _Temptation filled the young boy's mind, making it hard to focus.

_Why do you resist? Do not avert your eyes from the truth…!_

Minato fought against the Voice, pushing it back. _Piss off. _His persistence won out, and his mind slowly un-fogged. As he regained control of his thoughts, the shower turned off. The doorknob turned, almost ominously. On instinct, Minato took a fighting stance. The door swung open, and out stepped…

Kasumi.

In a towel.

"Wait… What was I doing, again? Oh yeah, there was that voice, and now I'm standing out here, and Minato is right there, and I… AND WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

Whatever remark the blue haired boy could possibly have made died in his mouth as Kasumi's face flushed a shade that could make cars stop. In the blink of an eye, the embarrassed girl disappeared back into the bathroom, a stream of profanities following after her.

_What… just happened? _

"Oh, I can finally reach you!" Fuuka's disembodied voice broke through the extremely awkward tension. "Can you two hear me? I'm sorry I couldn't contact you sooner...the Shadow was interfering with your thoughts, and you all got separated. The enemy is still in the same room. Please regroup and hurry there. Did you hear that, Kasumi?"

"Can't talk now! Slowly dying!" Came the violet haired girl's squeak.

"Um… Did something happen?"

"No, no! Absolutely nothing!" A fully clothed and still red-faced Kasumi reemerged. "W-Well… Let's go."

The duo advanced to the door, but just as Kasumi was about to open it, she stopped, turning around to glare at the boy.

"We _never_ speak of this again. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

* * *

><p><em>Someone shoot me now. Am I dead? Nope. Still not dead. <em>I still want to know how I ended up in that bedroom with Minato, but the question of 'how' wasn't the most pressing in my mind. No, I was more concerned with the 'I will never be able to live this down' factor. Currently, we were running through the halls, trying to find Yukari and Akihiko. A tiny portion of my brain wondered if they had gone through the same embarrassment, and I almost laughed at the image. Then I remembered whom I was running beside, and my face flushed all over again.

"I'm sorry, I never expected there to be another Shadow." Fuuka apologized again, then informed us that the Shadow was still in that room, and we needed to haul ass up there. "Somehow it's sealed the door, so I don't think you'll be able to get in. I'll try to find out if there's a way to break the seal...please join the others. They're on the floor above you."

Sure enough, Akihiko and Yukari were waiting in the middle of the second floor.

"So, you guys were on the first floor, huh?" Akihiko greeted us without formality. "I'm surprised there was another Shadow...anyway, are you alright?"

_All right, Kasumi. Play it cool. Nothing happened. _"Y-yeah, of course we're fine. Why wouldn't we be fine? We're nothing but fine!" _Wow, Kas. _Really _cool. _

I don't think for a second the two bought my amazing lie, but Fuuka interrupted before they could press the issue.

"I got it! It's the mirrors! They're giving off the same energy as the Shadow! Maybe the seal will vanish if you break the mirrors..."

I nodded. "Yeah, the mirror we saw up there made me feel… really strange."

We decided to go through the hotel and smash any mirrors that seemed unusual. I was all for just breaking anything reflective out of pure spite, but something said that would be a very bad idea. One that would be difficult to explain when the dark hour ended. We ended up only smashing mirrors with a thick, oily coating that prevented us from seeing our reflection. There were two in all.

"You've broken the seal on the door" With those gone, we were able to advance. "You should be able to fight the Shadow now."

The Lovers Shadow was even more freakish than the Hierophant. It's entire body was a translucent heart, filled with some sort of smoke and adorned with spikes and other jewels. Two purple, girly wings extended from either side in the mockery of a Valentine's Day heart.

"Oh, you're going to be sorry you were ever born! …Err, created…" My fingers tightened around my short sword with anger. How dare this abomination mess with everyone's minds like that?  
>Yukari immediately fell into a 'healsupport" role as the battle, keeping us alive as we doled out damage. The Lovers' fire blasts were pretty much a joke to us all, but we had another problem.

"Akihiko-senpai has been charmed!"

"Not again!" Inwardly, I groaned. A charmed Akihiko was a bad Akihiko. The boxing champion ran forward to attack us, and I moved to meet him. His fist connected with the flat of my blade, knocking us both back. I darted underneath his punches to strike him with my hilt in the head. That seemed to snap him back to reality, as he rubbed his temple slightly.

"Hehe, sorry 'bout that."

And so we continued, trying desperately to avoid being charmed – which was difficult. After a while, the creature was almost dead.

_Finally. I officially hate Full Moons. _To deliver the final blow I advanced cautiously, and put my sword tip gently against the frail heart's flesh. With a disgusted snort, I plunged it into the Lovers' writhing body, my revenge for that … incident… finally delivered.

* * *

><p>Outside the hotel, everyone was in a good mood. Everyone, that is, except one sulking second year by the name of Junpei Iori.<p>

"I'm glad you're all safe." Fuuka greeted us.

"Thanks for your help. The enemy was sly, but you did well." Was Mitsuru's cut and dry response.

"I did what I could."

The redhead then turned to Minato. "And you, too. For withstanding the enemy's mental assault." _Yeah… Mental assault… _

As we were turning to leave, Fuuka stopped to address Yukari. "Oh, Yukari. About that thing you mentioned the other day…"

"You found out something? Cool, tell me later." Yeah, with my help. "All right, we should head back, too." Us five Second Years turned to follow our senpai, except Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass, who was still pouting for some unknown reason.

"Come on, Junpei. What are you doing?"

"So. You're the hero again, huh?" He said in an almost superior tone. "Yeah, whatever… Who cares, anyway?"

"Hey!" Junpei's attitude was really annoying me. I sauntered up to the goatee-sporting boy, putting my face close to his own. "What on Earth is your problem? Is wittle Junpei _jealous _of Minato?"

"Shut up!" And with that, the boy stalked off.

"Was it something I said?"

* * *

><p>In the silence that followed the group's departure, steady, slow clapping pierced the air. "…Faster than I expected." The appearance of this trio went unnoticed by any and every living thing, as if they had just appeared out of darkness. The leader, an extremely pale man, continued to speak. "That was quite a show. They've been rather busy these last few months, including their frequent forays into the tower. Their fighting style is positively fascinating... And it seems they've gained new recruits, too." His golden eyes flickered to a dark haired boy to his right. "Well, Jin, are they our enemies?"<p>

'Jin's' face remained passive. "Why don't we ask our 'buddy?' We'll be seeing him soon."

"Yes...that's an excellent idea. Considering that he shares our fate, it would be prudent to seek his opinion. We don't have much time left..."

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~<br>Time skips~! Time skips~! Timey Wimey Time skips~! Yeah… Sorry about that. I really didn't want to wait another week filled with nothing before the full moon. I suppose something did happen – That being Minato trying to advance Kasumi's social link. (Think he'll be able to get very far?) **

**Longest chapter ever, to make up for that really short fluffy one last time… Sorry about the lacking fight scenes. They aren't my forte. At all.**

**Ahh, dat scene... That really awkward scene. It was awkward just for me to write. **

**The song on Minato's MP3? Well, I was listening to PonPonPon as I wrote this, so that's what I imagined. I lol'd. **

**Blargh. I don't really like this chapter, but whatever. It exists.  
><strong>

**P.S. I passed my midterms~! **

**P.P.S I ran Kasumi through a Mary Sue test, and she came out clean! Victory!  
><strong>

**P.P.P.S Both Edward Cullen and Bella Swan came out 'irredeemable Mary Sues.'  
><strong>

**Okay. I'm done. **

**Until next time! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: The only things I could possibly own in this story are Kasumi, and the Frankenstein work I preformed on the plot. Other than that, I own nothing.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

July 10th

"What do you mean 'midterms are coming up?'"

Thump. Thump. Thump went the back of my head against the wall I was currently sitting against.

"Um, that midterms are coming up?"

I sighed, ceasing my head abuse to glare at Yukari. Currently, the two of us, along with everyone's favorite silent protagonist, and Fuuka, were enjoying our lunch break in the courtyard. Junpei Stick-Up-His-Ass-Iori was nowhere to be found, but I wasn't complaining.

"I heard you the first time. Repeating it will not make it make any more sense to my poor brain."

"Kasumi-chan, it's the middle of the semester." Fuuka explained.

"So, we're taking our midterm exams." The brunette I was still glaring at finished.

With a groan, I continued the slow murder of my brain cells against the school's brick wall. "Bu- But, all I do is sleep or daydream in class..."

"You're screwed."

"No one asked for your opinion, Mister Arisato." My glare turned to the blue haired boy. A thought occurred to me, and I briefly forgot about my current test situation. "Hey… With Junpei out somewhere pouting, it's just us three girls and Minato. …I imagine he looks like quite the player right now."

"…"

"Hah! Minato Arisato's a player!"

* * *

><p>After school, as my three friends and I were walking home, I repeated the age-old ritual of taking my cell phone out to turn it on, as it would be breaking several school rules to have it on during school hours. I wasn't expecting any messages, which is why I was so shocked to see the 'missed call' icon flashing.<p>

_Naoto Shirogane - 1. _

"Nao…" If she tried to call me, that could only mean one thing. Something regarding the case must have happened. Completely forgetting about my teenage travelling companions, I jammed my thumb into the call button. It rang once, twice, then.

"Kasumi."

"Oh, you must have finally put my number into your caller ID. Nice to know you care, Nao~!"

The detective on the other line sighed. "Seeing as I had made the mistake of calling you during school hours, and now, as school would be ending, I am getting another call, it wasn't that hard to figure out."

"So, you're saying you don't care?"

"Excellent deduction."

I rolled my eyes. "What did you want?"

"There's been another murder."

If I had been drinking at that moment, I probably would have done a spit take. "Wha- How- Bu- WHAT?"

There was a slight bit of static on Naoto's end, and I imagined her shifting positions on a swivel chair as she reached for certain case files, her fancy phone pressed between her ear and shoulder.

"His name was Kinshiro Morooka. He was a teacher at Saki Konishi – and the other kidnap victim's – high school."

I frowned, something nagging at my conscience as I processed this information. "A high school teacher? But, I don't understand. Did you know-?"

"Did I know that this Morooka would be the next victim? No, I had no clue. I was… taken off guard."

"_Well, you could let me finish my question, know it all…" _Was muttered under my breath before I spoke louder. "So, he wasn't shown on TV?" I was still ignorant to the strange, questioning looks I was getting.

"No. He never appeared on television."

"Then how could- and I thought- and WAIT A MINUTE. MINATO, HOLD MY PHONE!"

The sleek devise was transferred from my hand into those of a very confused Minato, my shoes and socks were pulled from my feet, and immediately, my thought process sped up. Now, walking barefoot down the city street was not the most pleasant idea, but who said I had good ideas?

"Right, back. I believe this to be the work of a second killer."

Credit where it's due, Naoto only hesitated for a second at my strange behavior before responding with a sound of ascent. "Yes, I agree. It's just too inconsistent. The body was discovered in the same fashion as the last two, and if not too closely examined, the victim does appear to have ties to the last. Someone could easily believe this was the work of the same killer. But when you scrutinize it, there are simply too many inconsistencies for this to be any more than a copycat murder."

"…That is literally what I just said, in a lot more words."

My younger sister ignored my remark. "When the data comes back from the crime lab, I'll have more evidence to support my theory."

"You better call me as soon as you do- HOLY MOTHER OF EVERYTHING HOLY, WHY IS MY FOOT BLEEDING?"

A horribly sharp pain radiating from the heel of my bare left foot up my leg finally brought me back away from the phone call. A scarlet pool was slowly forming around the four of us.

"Maybe because you were walking down a considerably filthy street without any footwear."

_Thirteen words. He literally said thirteen words in one cohesive sentence. _My pain considerably lessened.

* * *

><p>Naoto could only stare at her phone with a worried look on her face as she exited the tofu shop. Her older sister had been screaming bloody murder about who-knows-what long enough for the detective to stop by Rise's place, question as to the whereabouts of the idol, and leave. At first, she had only been slightly concerned. Kasumi had a tendency to exaggerate her pain. However, she had completed her task and was still on hold. A sisterly feeling of worry tugged at the Shirogane's gut.<p>

"Hey, sorry… I stepped on some glass, cut my foot, made Minato carry me all the way back to the dorm, yelled at someone to fix the gaping hole in my walking appendage, and then they made me clean my own blood from the floor while interrogating me as to why I was discussing killers over the phone – to which I lied. My dorm mates are cruel people, sometimes."

Naoto blinked. She repeated the action, and still Kasumi's statement didn't make sense. "Yes, well, I should leave you to that… I- I'll inform you of any changes to our situation."

"Yeah, I have to… cram for the midterms I forgot I was being forced to take."

A smirk formed on Naoto's lips as she ended the call. Her sister having to study? What was the world coming to?

The moment her phone was deposited and she was brought back to the real world, she came face to face with none other than Souji Seta and Yukiko Amagi approaching the tofu shop. She allowed herself a small grin of satisfaction. So her assumption had been right.

"Ah… I had a feeling you'd come."

"You're…!" The Amagi girl gasped.

"Are you here to ingratiate yourself with Rise Kujikawa now?" Before either teenager could answer the detective's pointed question, two more appeared. If Naoto remembered correctly, they were Yosuke Hanamura and Chie Satonaka. The brunette boy was grumbling something.

" Geez… Why did the clerk even let them charge it to someone else…?" His eyes widened when they landed on the hat wearing 'boy' who moved to stand in front of them.

"Huh? W-Wait, you're that guy we saw with Kanji…!"

"Precisely. I don't believe we've met since I spoke with _you _regarding Kujikawa - In fact, I don't believe I've ever introduced myself. My name is Naoto Shirogane. I'm investigating the multiple murders that have occurred here. Mind if I ask you a few questions on the subject?" When no one responded, she took that as an invitation. "The latest victim, Kinshiro Morooka… He was a teacher at the school you all attend, correct?"

"S-So what?" The shorthaired girl stuttered.

"The public is focused on the fact that he is associated with the second victim's school… But in truth, that's irrelevant. What intrigues me is the inconsistency." Naoto couldn't suppress a smug feeling when she watched surprise and respect flicker through the teens' eyes. "This Morooka… has never appeared on television. What do you make of that?"

"…How are we supposed to know?" Hanamura stumbled over his lie.

"Well, we'll leave it at that. For my part, I'd like to solve this case as quickly as possible. I'll be keeping an eye on you all. Well then, until we meet again." Naoto's smirk, if possible, only grew as she heard shocked mutters from the group she had just left.

* * *

><p>July 11th<p>

I did my best not to limp as I walked to school with Minato. It was odd not to have Junpei there to tie our little group together, but with him acting like a pissy teenage girl for no obvious reason, it was probably better that we left without him.

Anyway, my foot was still aching slightly from my accidentally treading on that glass shard, which was doing nothing for my horrible mood. Nightmares regarding the Inaba murder case had kept me up all night, and I was going to freaking school.

The greeting of a still sullen Junpei at the school gates did not improve my attitude.

"Hey… What's up…?"

Minato shrugged. My own response was to narrow my eyes slightly.

"Uh, exams are pretty soon… Have you been studyin'?"

"Yeah." The blue haired boy nodded.

"…Seriously? Like I care..."

"Dude!" I snapped, annoyance pushing me over the edge. "Minato did absolutely nothing to you! But ever since the full moon, you've been acting like a teenage girl with hormone issues! I guarantee your problems aren't as big as you make them out to be with your pouting, so _snap the hell out of it!" _

I stormed away before I could get a reply.

_Wow. Did I really just explode like that?_

* * *

><p><em>Wanna… go… to… sleep… Tired of Mitsuru talking... so... much… <em>

"…So, that's what happened on the night of the seventh." Finally, the redhead seemed to be wrapping up her report to the Chairman. I stretched from my seat on the arm of the couch.

"I see." Ikutsuki nodded. "They're getting tougher… But it's not all bad news. I called this meeting because-" But he never got to finish, because at that moment, Yukari spoke up.

"I'm sorry." She didn't sound sorry. I quickly realized what was coming, having to suppress a groan. She was going to confront Mitsuru about the information I'd/Fuuka'd gotten her, wasn't she?

"Before we go on, I'd like to ask Mitsuru-senpai something." She is. Of course.

"Me…?"

"Since I joined, so many things have happened...I went along with it without really understanding what was going on, but now I need to know. I'm gonna ask you straight out... You've been hiding something from us, haven't you, Senpai?"

And queue the collective gasp of shock. "You act like you don't know anything about the Dark Hour and Tartarus...but they're related to that accident ten years ago, aren't they?"

Junpei tilted his head to one side. "What accident…?"

"There was an explosion near our school, and a lot of people died...it must have been big news back then. You know about it, don't you?"

The third year sighed, looking defeated. "…Yes."

That only fueled Yukari, who seemed to inflate with anger. "Luckily, no students were injured. But around the same time, a large number of students were recorded as absent. Seems like more than just a coincidence."

"What do you mean?"

"I dug up some old school records-" At this, I had to cover a snort. Who dug up some old school records? "-and found something interesting. The students who were absent...they all collapsed suddenly and had to be hospitalized. Sound familiar? You know, like those girls who bullied Fuuka."

Mitsuru was speechless, with an ashamed look on her face, and still Yukari wasn't done.

"There has to be an explanation! What really happened on the day of that accident? The Kirijo Group built our school, so you must know something! Tell me the truth!"

"...I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. It just never seemed relevant. But..."

"It's alright. It's not your fault." Ikutsuki assured her.

"…Alright. I'll tell you the whole story. The Shadows have many mysterious abilities." She began the tale, and I resigned myself to a long night. "Some research indicates that they can even affect time and space. We think of them as our enemies, but what if we could somehow use them to our advantage?"

_Use them… To our advantage? Like, as weapons, or to channel their energy?  
><em>

"They would be a source of unimaginable power, wouldn't they?"

_Yes, but surely you couldn't control that power. _

"Fourteen years ago, one man pursued that line of thinking… He was the former leader of the Kirijo group, Kouetsu Kirijo… …My grandfather."

_So her grandfather caused that incident?_

"My grandfather was obsessed with the Shadows. He wanted to harness their power and create something extraordinary."

"Harness their power…?" Fuuka repeated quizzically.

"He assembled a team of scientists, and over several years collected a significant number of Shadows."

_How, I wonder. Tartarus wasn't around, if this story relates to its formation, so those Shadows had to come from somewhere… Ugh, my head hurts…_

"He what? Damn, that's freaking crazy!" Junpei spoke what most everyone was thinking.

"However… Ten years ago, during the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. Consequently, the nature of the world was altered."

"That's how…" I trailed off.

"Yes. Tartarus, and the Dark Hour."

_So, because of that explosion of the Shadows' power, it altered time and space itself... _

_I wonder if the data's come back from the Crime Lab yet…_

"By their account, the mass of Shadows they collected split into several large ones and dispersed. These are the Shadows we've been encountering on the nights when the moon is full."

Even after all of that, Yukari still found more to say. "Wait a minute...if what you said is true, then why did our school turn into Tartarus?" She thought for a moment, then gasped. "…Don't tell me… That's where they conducted the experiment?"

"…Yes."

"Then… those students who were hospitalized…"

"I'm afraid it's just as you're thinking. Port Island must have been an ideal location for them. It was a highly populated area, and the Kirijo Group had influence there. They could do as they pleased..."

_You'd think it'd be worse if it were highly populated… So many more risks. _

_Naoto is probably still at the station working…  
><em>

"As you guessed, the experiment ten years ago was conducted at Gekkoukan High School."

"…Does that mean… All we've been doing is cleaning up their mess?"

_We have such a big mess to clean up in Inaba…. _

"You lied to us!"

_God, her voice grates on my ears._

"You knew too, didn't you, Akihiko-senpai? They've just been using us! Or do you not care as long as you get to fight?"

_Shut _up _already. _

"That's not true. I have my reasons…"

_Akihiko does, so does Mitsuru, so does everyone. Even you had ulterior motives for joining SEES, I'd bet anything. _

_What are the killer's motives? The copycat killer's? _

"Think what you'd like...it was my decision not to share that information. I'm sorry...I never intended to deceive you. Convincing you to join SEES was my highest priority. As absurd as it may seem, only we –with our Personas – can fight the Shadows."

_So there, Yukari. _

"How could you…?"

_Is she still going at it? Yukari, maybe it's something that you can't understand. _

"Besides, some of us were never given a choice… I…"

_Mitsuru sounds close to tears. And are you really going to open your mouth and spew something else? Aw, what the hell? I've already exploded once today. Let's set a record. _

"Yukari… kindly shut up." The brunette turned to face me, looking mad and confused. "It's not Mitsuru's fault, don't you understand? So she didn't tell you the whole story. Oh, boo hoo. Poor little baby. She wasn't the one who said 'Hey, let's try to harness the raw power of the Shadows, even though we don't know _what the hell will happen. _The people in the past did that, and they paid with their lives. All that's left now _is_ to 'clean up their mess.' There's nothing left we can do, so quit your bitching!"

…

Have I mentioned I've been under a lot of stress recently?

Ikutsuki was the one to finally break the tension I had expertly created. "It's been ten years since that incident. No one knows why these Shadows suddenly returned. But since they're active, at least we can find and destroy them... Do you realize what this means?" No one spoke. "What if I told you that those twelve Shadows are the cause of everything?"

Akihiko realized what he meant first. "Then, if we defeat them all, Tartarus and the Dark Hour will disappear…?"

"Exactly! That's what I was going to tell you earlier. See, it's good news, isn't it?"

_It seems this whole demonic tower incident is going to resolve easier than a completely non-paranormal murder case… _"Really?"

"There's evidence to support it. Now, our true battle begins."

Yukari said nothing, just stared at the floor in silence. Hopefully she took my order to quit her bitching to heart. Because I really prefer to be happy-go-lucky, and not cranky-go-evil.

"Regardless of what's happened in the past, we must fight to protect the people. The Shadows are gaining strength...we can't afford to just wait for them. And there are many mysteries still surrounding Tartarus. Why did such a gigantic structure appear in the first place?

The answer must lie within it."

**~~Author's Note~~  
>Duh duh duuuuuuh!<strong>

**Wow, Kasumi's in a pretty foul mood for the second half of this Chapter, isn't she? I think the stress of trying to deal with two games plots are finally getting to her. **

**Kasumi: ****Getting to me? Pshaw, I'm perfectly fine! Why wouldn't you think I was fine? **

**In all honesty, I like Yukari and all, but she bitches waay too much for my tastes. Especially in The Answer… Ugh. **

**Investigation team~! Whoo~ Expect another visit to Inaba from Kasumi sometime soon. …ish. I honestly have no real clue. **

**Anyway, thanks to those of you who have reviewed/favorited/alerted this story. They make me happeh~ And sorry if the style I was going for towards the end with Kasumi's thoughts didn't work out well. I was experimenting. **

**Until next time!**


	14. Chapter 14

**~~Author's Note~~  
>So, I'm an idiot. In my last – rather suckish - chapter, I referred to the upcoming tests as midterms, when in fact, they are finals. I'm a failure. <strong>

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. In fact, I own so little, that I live in a cardboard box on the street corner.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

July 12th

"_This isn't a game to us." _

Souji found himself dwelling over the words he had spoken to a certain hat-wearing detective not twenty-four hours ago. He had meant what he said, but something still bothered him.  
>When the case ended, where would he find himself? These murders – these powers – had brought his friends together, forming the basis of a bond between them. Would the loss of the case leave drifting apart, their promises fulfilled, and no reason to speak to each other again? That is what Souji feared the most.<p>

And then, there was the issue of the detective himself. Something about this Naoto Shirogane bothered the city boy as well, though he didn't know why out of all things, he chose to worry himself over a stranger.

"_It is rather unfortunate that people are only attentive so long as our services are required… But then, I'm accustomed to it." _He had seemed so sad, almost like an abandoned puppy, as he uttered those words. Souji couldn't help but wonder if perhaps this Naoto was suppressing something himself.

Whatever the case was, Souji didn't intend to waste his day off by dwelling on things he couldn't change. For now, he'd just have to wait to see how things would play out.

* * *

><p>I sighed, training my gaze on the bulky silver devise clutched in my palm. The words my sister had just spoken to me from said devise echoed in my head like a broken record.<p>

"The police have a suspect." As if saying the words out loud would make them make any more sense to myself, I uttered the sentence several times. "That's a good thing, right? At least one of my headaches will resolve peacefully." But even as I spoke, I couldn't help but wonder.

What would happen between Naoto and myself? Before this case had started, my younger sister had barely spoken to me. Our communication had dwindled so greatly that I would only get a call if a very important situation arose. In fact, before the Inaba Murders, we had been going on a year without a single spoken word between the two of us.

In all honesty, though, I didn't want that to happen again. I didn't want to loose my sister for a third time.

I blinked away the stinging sensation in my eyes, and continued to stare at my phone. "Naoto… Why am I always being abandoned by you?"

* * *

><p>July 13th<p>

Minato and I arrived back at the dorm later in the night than normal.

"Um… Thanks for helping me study…" I stared at my feet, trying not to blush. With finals starting tomorrow, I had resorted to begging the blue-haired boy to help me review the material, which, surprisingly, he had been willing to do.

In response to my comment, Minato only nodded.

"I guess we missed dinner." Sure enough, our dorm mates were all clustered around the dining table, but there was not a plate to be seen. My partner and I quickly joined them.

"Hola, everyone~!"

"Hey."

Only a few muffled replies.

An awkward silence filled the room like a fog – radiating mainly from a certain two female members - and everyone seemed to be feeling its effects.

"Umm…" Fuuka started, apparently hoping to break the tension. "Y-you know, it's almost summer break. Do you have any plans?"

My mind instantly flew to Inaba. "I'll be spending part of it with my grandfather in the country. What about you all?"

"I wish I could go to the beach." Junpei exclaimed, sounding more like himself than he had in a while. "Hot sand, cool breeze, babes in bikinis... Man, it sure would be nice! Somewhere in the south, where the water is crystal clear! But first we have exams to worry about... Ugh, what a drag..."

I concur, Junpei. I concur. Um, about the finals, not about the bikinis… Yeah, you know what I mean.

The teal haired girl gave him a sympathetic pat. "Now, now. You'll be fine. But yeah, I'd love to go somewhere famous for its beautiful beaches, like Okinawa."

The Chairman's voice then nearly made me jump out of my skin. As it were, I still flinched slightly as Ikutsuki seemed to magically appear in the lounge. "Well, it's not Okinawa, but how about Yakushima?"

"Holy- Wh- When did he get here?"

Ignoring my outburst – as seemed to be per norm for Mitsuru – the redhead stood up to greet the elder gentleman.

"I happened to be in the area, so I thought I'd drop by and tell you my schedule for next week."

"Stop by and give me a heart attack." Was muttered under my breath. Still, I was ignored.

"Mitsuru, your father will be vacationing in Yakushima during the break. You'll all have some time off after exams, right? Why don't you go and pay him a surprise visit?"

Naturally, Junpei took advantage of this to exclaim excitedly, "Seriously? We're gonna take a trip? YES! Beach babes, here I come!"

"Is that all you think about?" I asked, and at the same time, Yukari sighed, "Ugh… Men…"

"How about it, Mitsuru?"

Debby Downer –I mean, Mitsuru – frowned. "But… My father is a busy man; I don't want to ruin his vacation."

"Haha, don't worry...no father would be upset with a daughter who came all that way to see him. You've all done a great job. You deserve to relax for a while. We already know when the next operation will be, so it should be fine."

'_A vacation would do me some good… And I can bug the hell out of Minato… That's always a good time.' _ "Yeah… I like the sound of that…"

After a brief, agonizing moment, Mitsuru nodded. "…Alright. I guess everyone needs a break every now and then. Let's do it."

Junpei and I let out identical cheers of excitement, while Akihiko mused.

"Hmm, the beach...I should design a special training regimen."

"I know I just said this to Junpei, but I will repeat my statement for you, senpai. Is that all you think about?"

Even Minato seemed just a little bit more animated. I think this trip'll be good for all of us.

In the midst of the celebration, the Kirijo heiress used that opportunity to slip upstairs. Yukari noticed this at the same time I did, the brunette following quickly after her senpai. My long-buried detective instinct took over then, and I followed them to the staircase, where I _conveniently_ _overheard_ their conversation.

"Um, Senpai! Uh… Sorry about the other day… I got a little carried away."

"Don't worry about it. In a way, it's only logical that we go to Yakushima. The Chairman said that no one who was responsible for the accident is still alive, but...in reality, there is one witness who survived."

"There is?"

"My father."

* * *

><p>July 18th<p>

At long last, the much-awaited 'last day of exams' has finally arrived. I'm sure my usual silent traveling companion had to be annoyed with my bouncing, but I really didn't care what he thought at that point. The summer air, coupled with my excitement at being out of school fueled my body to the point where it couldn't be considered healthy.

"Yo, what's up?" Junpei met us at the gate, seeming to be acting a little more like his usual self. "Thank god today's the last day of exams... I can't wait to let off some steam. Dude, don't you just love summer?"

"_I _love summer! I _really, really _love summer! Summersummersummersummer…"

"..." Minato sighed. I turned to stare at him, in my hyper state just now noticing how blue his hair looked in the sunlight.

"Pretty blue…"

"Kasumi… Calm."

"I- Is she okay?"

"No."

"No, I'm not. HEY, you're not supposed to agree with me!"

Minato reclined in his chair, feeling rather accomplished. During that last test, it had felt like his pen was moving of its own accord. The questions had been too easy! He only half-listened to his friends' exclamations of excitement at the end of exams, only perking up when the conversation rolled around to Yakushima.

"Oh yeah, that's coming up soon. Are ya ready?" Yukari directed the question to the headphone-wearing boy.

"What about you?"

"Me? Umm… Not really. I guess I should be more enthusiastic, huh? Hey, I don't have practice today, so do you wanna do something?"

"Sounds good! Where we goin'? If you need to buy a swimsuit, I'd be happy to help!"

Yukari scoffed at the group's resident pervert. "As if! All right, gimme a sec, I'm gonna go grab my stuff from the locker room. Oh, I'll invite Fuuka and Kasumi, too."

After the brunette had left, Junpei turned to face Minato, a guilty look on his usually carefree face.

"Hey… I know I've been kind of a dick lately… …But we're still cool, right?"

"…Yeah. We're cool." The blue-haired boy nodded, not one to hold grudges.

"Thanks, dude. Anyway, that's all history. It's you and me now, bro. All right, let's get going."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Junpei, Minato, and I were going to hang out." I was mildly surprised to find Yukari in our classroom after school, addressing Fuuka and myself. "You guys wanna come with?"<p>

"Ooh, an epic quest to battle monsters, slay demons, find treasure, and the like?"

"Uhmm… Yeah, no. I was just thinking about going to the mall."

The shy girl next to me nodded. "That sounds like fun, Yukari-chan."

"Yeah, I'll go, too."

So, with that, the three of us left school, and met up with the guys at the gate. Our white-haired senpai was there, too. In the commotion Junpei was causing, I turned to him.

"Akihiko-senpai? When did you get here?"

"Ikutsuki-san called me. I think he wants to talk about a new candidate."

Leaving Junpei to his own devises, Yukari turned to him. "Does that mean another person's going to join?"

"Maybe…"

At that moment, a familiar voice rang out, "Fuuka!" That voice belonged to Natsuki, a girl I recognized from my class as a friend of Fuuka's.

"What's wrong, Natsuki-chan?

The girl said in a slightly annoying voice, "Do you think you can stay after school with me for a mandatory study session? There's, like, no one…" She trailed off as her gaze rested on the others. "Oh, you're going to your home home today, huh? Okay, never mind, then."

Fuuka stopped her as she turned to leave. "Hey, wait. It's all right, let's go. Sorry, I'll see you all later back at the dorm."

Everyone was slightly surprised at the usually timid girl's outgoing-ness. "She hasn't always been like that, huh?" I asked, then, for the second time in the course of a couple weeks, the Chairman appeared out of nowhere to give me a heart attack.

"Ah, friendship… How beautiful!"

"GAH!" With a shout of shock, I ducked behind Minato, peeking over his shoulder to glare at Ikutsuki. The older brunette chuckled slightly.

"Adolescence is a wonderful thing! So full of vibrancy!"

"I-Ikutsuki-san…!"

"Oh, hello." He said, as if he had just then noticed the five of us standing there. "I just stopped by to pick someone up. I might as well introduce him now." On queue, a young boy stepped up. He looked to be no older than eleven, with slightly shaggy brown hair and eyes. A school uniform was visible underneath a bright orange jacket. The kid greeted everyone with a quiet, "Hello."

Eyes lit with recognition, Yukari nodded to the boy. "Oh, hi, Ken-kun. What's up?"

Akihiko, whose expression was one of absolute shock, asked, "You know him…?"

"He doesn't leave during the break because of his...circumstances." Ikutsuki said.

"Oh, I heard about that… Something about his parents…"

'_This Ken seems really mature for his age…' _I mused, watching the kid answer Yukari's statement.

"It was only me and my mom, but she got in an accident, and she… she died... It happened two years ago."

I felt a stab of sympathy for the kid, and almost missed Ikutsuki's response.

"Right now, one of his distant relatives is paying for his school expenses. But staying at the elementary school dorm all by himself isn't proper for a child his age. So I decided to move him to your dorm for the summer."

"_Our_ dorm? Well, that sounds like a fantastic idea…" I muttered, thinking of our midnight excursions.

"I don't see why not. He has the potential."

If possible, Akihiko looked even more shocked, to the point where his dark eyes bulged in his skull. "Then, _he's _the new candidate?"

"Yes. But as you can see, he's still just an elementary school student. So it is merely a possibility for now." Senpai didn't say anything else, but his expression didn't change, even when the kid approached him with an admiring look on his face.

"Are you… Sanada-senpai?"

"Um… yeah."

"I've heard a lot about you. You haven't lost a boxing match yet." Ken had an expression reminiscent of someone meeting their idol, which I suppose is an accurate enough description.

The senior just sighed. "Yeah… Well, it's nice to meet you…"

* * *

><p>Naoto let out a small sigh, shoving her hands further in her pockets as she walked the darkened city streets. The glow of twilight lit the path of the floodplain she was traversing. Her head was reeling, thoughts going faster than was probably healthy. So many aspects of this case didn't make sense, and she was almost certain the suspect the police had found was not the one responsible for all the murders.<p>

She sighed again, but was not expecting the noise to be echoed back to her. There, sitting on a bench a little ways away, was none other than Souji Seta, a look of deep contemplation gracing his features.

'_This isn't a game to us.' _

'_Then, what is it?' _She silently challenged. _'You must know more than you let on.'  
><em>

"I'm not interrupting anything, I hope?" The detective asked, approaching the boy, who looked up with mild surprise.

"Oh. No."

"This is a good place to be alone with your thoughts, I find."

Souji nodded, a far-away look in his eyes. "You must have a lot to think about."

"That may be true… Am I correct in assuming that I'm not the only one with much on my mind?"

A wry smile appeared on Souji's face. "You can assume."

"Assumptions can only get one so far. Solving anything requires facts and logic."

"Spoken like a true detective." The white-haired boy agreed, then the two lapsed into a slightly uncomfortable silence.

"Well, I shouldn't keep you from your thoughts any longer. With the case wrapping up, I don't think either of us can do anything for the other." Naoto turned to head home.

"Yeah. I suppose you're right."

Naoto smiled slightly. "In my years of experience, I find that… I usually am."

_And something tells me I'm right in my deductions about you, Souji Seta._

**~~Author's Note~~  
>Short chapter is short, no?<br>**

**I would really like Investigation Team fun, but there's a whole lot of nothing in P4 for a while, so… TO YAKUSHIMA! Which is always a good time.**

**I really don't like Ken all that much… He is no Nanako. **

**Anyway, I wanted to apologize for my sub-par chapter last time, and hope that this not-much-better one pleases you all more. I had a teensy bit of writer's block, which is why this all seems very forced. I pretty much just copied the scenes exactly, adding Kasumi lines. I hope the next chapter will be better. **

**m(_ _)m **

**I'm so sorry….**


	15. Chapter 15  Summer Spectacular Part 1

**~~A/N~~ The Walkthrough I use to write this (My Life is a Goddamn Mess) seems to skip the nineteenth. Like *****Poof* it doesn't exist. I mean, I don't hesitate to use time skips, but it's still weird… I hope I didn't miss anything important…**

**Disclaimer: I don't, and never will, own Persona. Unless I inherit a small fortune, and can purchase it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

July 19th

"Hack into the Police's database? _That _doesn't sound highly illegal at _all." _

Naoto's voice crackled over the speakerphone in an annoyed response. "I'm afraid my curiosity has gotten the better of me."

I sighed, propping my bare feet on the Command Room consoles. "Yeah, yeah. I know how you are. I can do it, but _honestly. _I'm a day away from a _beach vacation!_ And I have to work!" As I listened to my sister's reply, I turned to the keyboard, beginning to type furiously.

"A beach vacation?"

My words were automatic, my mouth moving without getting permission from my preoccupied brain. "Yep~ Ikutsuki – who lives to scare the hell out of me – thought we were overworked from the whole 'Shadow' busine- Uh…"

"'Shadow Business?'"

"Um, no… I said…" _'Crap, what rhymes with Shadow? Damn! This is why I don't write poetry!' _"I said studying!" _'That doesn't rhyme! Agh!' _"Hehe… Studying… of course! Ya know, because of Finals!"

"…I see." Naoto's voice clearly said 'The only thing I see is that you're a horrible liar.'

"Ah… Okay, you wanted to know about this suspect the police have, right?"

"That's correct, but-"

"His name is Mitsuo Kubo, if my sources are reliable. And they should be, seeing as I'm looking at the Police Force of Inaba's database." I said quickly, ignoring whatever Naoto was about to say.

"All I can really say is what you already know. I could look into the kid personally, but…"

"That won't be necessary…" My younger sibling sighed. "I don't imagine that would tell us much. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

"Yeah… Suppose so."

"Hm…" A soft noise issuing from the doorway put me in a ridged state of shock. Slowly, I twisted my body around to meet impassive gray eyes. Minato Arisato leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets as usual, and gray eyes hiding any emotion behind an apathetic mask.

"H-Hi, Minato… Wh- What're you doin' up here?" I squeaked out.

"Could ask you that."

My mind went blank for a brief second. "Ahh, um… I could explain, but that would take forever, and I have to go pack! So, talk to ya later, Naoto!" I hung up the phone, shutting down the computer I stood up. "See ya, Arisato!" As I went to flee the room, I found my path blocked by a certain blue haired boy.

"You know, I'm not going to explain myself to you."

"…" He still didn't move. The second year was at least a head taller than me, peering down with a gaze that was emotionless, yet still intimidating.

"Look, this is really a long story, and honestly, who wants to listen to me prattle for who knows how long? Can I just talk to you about this later? And, ya know, if you wanna _not _mention this to anyone? That would be fantastic!"

"…" As Minato contemplated – well, who knows what goes on in that guy's head? – I held my breath. "Later." He finally said, and I sighed.

"Great, awesome, amazing, fantastic, and any other adjective I can't think of~! Bye, Minato~!"

_'Great. Now I have to discuss the Port Island problems with Naoto, and the Inaba Case with Minato. ... Eventually. Maybe they'll forget if I don't bring it up. _

_Oh, who am I kidding? Good job, Kasumi.  
><em>

_Gooood job.'_

* * *

><p>"Wow…" I couldn't help but marvel at the tropical island we were approaching. Beside me, Junpei let out an excited cheer. He turned around to gauge the reactions of the others on the boat, which hadn't changed from what they were when we left. That is to say, everyone was sullen. Well, in all technicalities, Minato looked perfectly content to stand in the shade and listen to his music, but everyone else looked tense. An awkward silence hung over the boat like a fog. I sighed. <em>'Is this really going to be any fun at all?'<em>

When the seven of us arrived at the Kirijo's beach house, it was again all I could do to gape, opened-mouthed, at the lavish palace. I swear, it was like I had stepped into the castle of a princess.

"It's like we're in an episode of 'Lifestyles of the Rich and fabulous…'" Junpei gasped as two women clad in your typical maid uniforms approached us. They bowed respectfully to Mitsuru.

"Welcome back, Milady."

"_Milady?" _I muttered to myself, incredulous.

"And you must be her schoolmates, correct? Welcome to the Kirijo vacation home." The maid on the right greeted us. My friends' reactions ranged from;

"_Um, is this the right place?" _to_, "Dude, real-life maids!" _But of course, I hang out with weird people.

Anyway, as we continued to be lead down the long staircase by the maids, another figure approached. This one was entirely different from the others we'd seen – I.E. the maids. The gentleman was quite the opposite. He wore a well-tailored suit, and had an expression on his face that clearly said not to mess with him. He also had an eye-patch. Now, how intimidating is that?

He didn't say a word, stopping for only a brief second near Mitsuru, brown eyes boring into the redhead's own orbs.

"It's good to see you." Ignoring Mitsuru's stiff greeting, the mysterious man kept walking down the hall, disappearing without a word into another room.

"Was that…?" Fuuka started.

"…Her father?" Yukari finished the sentence with a look of shock on her face.

I was tempted to say, 'like father like daughter,' but I figured that wouldn't go over well, so for once, I managed to hold my tongue. However, Junpei wasn't as wise.

"Dude, talk about scary! He's not gonna make us _walk the plank, _is he?"

I proceeded to giggle into my palm as Akihiko just rolled his eyes with a mutter of, 'don't be stupid.'

Mitsuru chuckled, obviously amused by our antics. "We won't be here long, but make yourselves at home."

"Sweet! This is gonna rock!" The hat-wearing boy exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. "Hey, wanna go to the beach? It's right there! Dude, this place rules! Come on, let's go!" This brought on another bout of giggles from me.

"What, already? I mean, sure, but let us get changed first!" The girls and I, lead by Mitsuru, retired to the rooms the four of us would share, while Junpei rushed off to the beach without delay.

Yep.

This was definitely going to be interesting.

* * *

><p>"I have a bad feeling Junpei's going to be even worse than he usually is." Yukari's voice sounded from the bathroom. Only half-listening, I mumbled an agreement, too preoccupied with the reflection in front of me. "I mean, he usually acts like a perv, but now…"<p>

"Yeah, I guess." I prodded the small part of my midsection that was visible with my index finger.

"You guess? Hey, is everything okay?" A brunette head poked out from behind the bathroom door, brown eyes worried.

"Mmhmm… I just never liked swimsuits. It… runs in the family." My mood brightened slightly at the thought of dragging Naoto out here with me, but then Yukari stepped into the room, and _of course_ she had to look amazing.

"Wha? But that barely qualifies as a swimsuit!" Again, I turned to the mirror. Staring back at me was a girl wearing purple, plaid Bermuda shorts, and a black tank top that stopped just above her belly button.

"I feel naked…" I muttered.

"You look fine."

"I don't care how I look!" Slightly untrue, "But I feel like I'm dressed like a prostitute!"

"…Exactly what qualifies as slutty to you?"

"…" I glanced down at my bare feet.

"Oh no, her knees are showing! What a scandal!" With that, the brunette dragged me from the room.

* * *

><p>"Geez, what's with Akihiko-senpai's swimsuit?" Yukari asked while we were still out of earshot. The boys were standing on the beach, obviously waiting for us. Admittedly, I hadn't been paying close mind to the senior, but when I did, I groaned.<p>

"Well… He is Akihiko. It's probably for… Ya know, training…? And yeah… I'm not going to try and justify it."

"…What?" I followed my friend's line of sight, to find it fixed on a certain smirking boy.

"Say hello to Contestant Number One, Yukari Takeba!" _'Oh, dear lord.' _"As you can see, she's chosen a bold design – quite unexpected! It takes a lot of confidence to pull off a swimsuit like that! And Contestant Number Two, Kasumi Shirogane! I gotta admit, I'm kinda disappointed at her choice of swimwear, but it suits her just fine."

"I'll kill him. _I'll kill him." _A hand grasping the end of my ponytail stopped my murder plan in its tracks, Yukari exclaiming 'Stop it, Kasumi, he's just an idiot!' Of course, that didn't stop me from flailing wildly, all the while attempting to maim a laughing Junpei. "Don't just stand there, Arisato! Help me!"

"…Why?"

"AGH!"

Before I could continue my crazed gesticulation, a shy voice approached from behind. "Um, is that umbrella taken?"

Completely forgetting about me, Junpei continued with his idiocy. "Next up is Contestant Number Three, Fuuka Yamagishi. _..._Wow, Fuuka, I had no idea you were so...I mean, you should wear a swimsuit more often!"

A blush spread over the innocent girl's cheeks as she gasped, crossing her arms over her chest in obvious embarrassment.

"Oh, come on! There's nothing to be embarrassed about!"

"You… you… I WILL MURDER YOU AND LAUGH OVER YOUR CORPSE!" Again, I tried to attack the idiot, and again I was restrained by an exasperated Yukari. Junpei laughed a very… disturbing laugh that only angered me further.

"THERE IS NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT THE PAIN I WILL INFLICT UPON YOU!"

Speaking loudly over my cries of rage, Junpei addressed the approaching Mitsuru. "And here's our final contestant!"

"Oh, I give up!" With a sigh, I collapsed onto the sand, to find myself staring up at amused gray eyes. "Not a word, Arisato."

"…Hm? Is something wrong?" The redhead asked, questioning the strange behavior everyone seemed to be displaying.

"Wow, Mitsuru-senpai… You're beautiful…" Fuuka, seeming to forget about Junpei, turned to swoon over Mitsuru.

"Yeah, your skin is flawless! Did you already put on sunscreen? …Up you go, Kasumi." I felt a pressure on my wrist that was accompanied by the brunette pulling me to my feet, dragging me over to fawn some more over the Kirijo. I suppose this would be qualified as 'female bonding?' I cast a glance to our male companions, finding 'female bonding' dull. Junpei and Minato had formed their own little huddle, while Akihiko looked on.

"So, which one's your type?" Junpei asked the other.

"…" The reply he gave was so muffled, that I couldn't quite make it out. _'Wait, no! I don't care! Why should I care about that?' _

"Oh reeeeally? Wait- really?" _'What did he say? No! Stop caring, Shirogane!'  
><em>

"Man, this is great! I'm in heaven! How 'bout a swim?" With a ridiculous sounding battle cry, Junpei ran into the waves. "Whoa, it's cold! Ahahaha!"

"Oh, looks like the guys are already swimming." Turning my head slightly, I saw my female companions breaking up, their bonding time spent. "Are ya going to join them?"

"Hmm… Nah… If I did, I'd probably end up murdering Junpei…" I let out a small chuckle, before heading off to a reasonably quiet part of the beach, as far away from whatever antics the previously mentioned Junpei was cooking up. I sat on the dry sand, still close enough to the waves for them to wash over my feet, but far enough from them to do what I had in mind.

With a childish grin, I smoothed the sand next to me, and reached forward, scooping up a pile of the wet variety. I allowed it to slip from my fingers, and then proceeded to mold it into the desired shape. I formed one tower of sand, about a foot or so tall, before beginning work on two other, shorter towers. As I reached for another handful of sand, a shadow fell across the under-construction castle.

"Wha?" Standing above me, head tilted curiously, was none other than Minato Arisato. His hands were shoved in his pockets – leave it to the guy to have swim trunks with pockets. "Whaddya want?"

The boy shrugged, his gaze trained on the pile of sand next to me. "May I?"

"May you…? Uh… Sure?"

Without another word, the blue haired boy plopped down onto the beach on the other side of my castle. I could only stare at him as he started to scrape together his own pile of damp sand, about half a foot away from mine. It was a few more moments before I realized that he was building his own sand castle, and when I reached this conclusion, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hm?"

"Oh, it's nothing… I just would never have pictured you doing something like this."

Minato just smiled – an actual smile - and went about his tower building. While he was busy with that, I stood up, venturing out a little ways to gather gleaming stones, shells, and an especially slim, long piece of driftwood. When I returned, my companion shot me a strange look, to which I just smirked.

"What's a sand castle without shells?" I divvied up the decorative things between us, starting to decorate my own towers without another word.

After all the shells and rocks had been placed, Minato held up the driftwood in curiosity. I stretched out my hand expectantly, and he – looking confused behind his lethargic mask – handed it over. I spun it in my fingers once before snapping it into desired length. Fitting it in between his castle and mine like a bridge, I let out a satisfied sigh.

"I christen thee Fort Shirogane~!"

"Ahem."

"Huh… Fine, Fort Shirogane-Arisato."

"Fort Arisato-Shirogane."

"What? NO! I started it, my name comes first!" As I was ranting, I completely missed the boy's scribbling in the sand. "My part is bigger, anyway, so ther- what are you doing?" Written in the sand before the two-part castle were the words, 'Fort Arisato-Shirogane.'

"NOOOO!"

* * *

><p>"From what I understand, Mitsuru has already given you the short version." Every dorm resident save the aforementioned Mitsuru fidgeted slightly, uncomfortable under the sharp gaze of Takeharu Kirijo. The man with the eye patch from earlier had indeed turned out to be her father. Now, after our beach time fun had ended, we were gathered in the lounge at his request. "Well, it's true. We adults are to blame. If I could've atoned with it for my life, I would have done so...now I have no choice but to rely on you."<p>

I got the distinct impression that we were about to learn something big.

"What my father wanted to create with those monsters' power… Was a Time Manipulation device."

'_Well, _that _wasn't what I was expecting.' _ From the confused exclamations around me, I could tell I wasn't the only one who had thought that.

"That's what he was trying to do?" Mitsuru frowned.

"Imagine if you could control the flow of time...eliminate unwanted events before they occur. With such a device, you could shape the future to your liking_._"

"Damn, that's insane…" Though Junpei's remark wasn't unjustified, I could understand where this Grandpa Kirijo was coming from. The idea of being able to prevent or erase things you wanted not to happen… Like that car wreck all those years ago… Yes, I could definitely understand that line of thinking.

"However, under my father's direction, the research began to stray from its original goal. In his later years, my father seemed to have only nihilism in his heart. Now that I think about it, his madness may have resulted from his struggle to break free from that... It's only natural that you want to know the truth, and it's my duty to tell you." As if on queue, the lights in the room dimmed, and a monitor on the far wall flickered to life. "This is the only existing footage of the accident, recorded by a scientist who was at the scene."

The video started, and a man dressed in typical scientist apparel appeared in a blurry image.

_"I pray this recording reaches safe hands." _

"That voice…" Yukari's shocked reaction had me looking from the man on screen to the girl sitting across from me. They weren't obviously identical; the man's hair and eyes were a noticeably darker shade of brown, but there was something about that man that kept me glancing towards the girl.

_"My employer has become obsessed with a loathsome idea. This experiment should have never even been conceived... I'm afraid what I've done will result in an unprecedented disaster, but if I hadn't, the entire world may have paid the price."  
><em>

"The whole world, huh?" I leaned forward. "So that's what we're dealing with."

_"Please, listen carefully...the Shadows that were amassed here have been dispersed as a result of the explosion." _At this point, the video quality decreased drastically, the white noise becoming unbearable, and the video tearing much more frequent. _"To end this nightmare, you must eliminate all of them! I am to blame for this. I knew the risks, but I was blinded by the promise of success, and so I didn't raise any objections... It is all my fault." _ Yukari stood up sharply, and with one word, confirmed my suspicions.

"…Dad…"

"Father…" Mitsuru turned to the man with the eye patch, as if to say, 'what is the meaning of this?'

"His name was Eiichiro Takeba… He was the head researcher at the time, and a very talented man. But we are the ones who are responsible. We pushed him to continue the research. The Kirijo Group is to blame for his death." That last part was said with just noticeable guilt.

"I… I can't believe it…"

Ignoring Mitsuru, Yukari spoke softly to the floor. "So that means... My dad caused it all...? The Dark Hour, Tartarus... the people who died in that incident... It was all his fault...?" She continued, her voice rising in pitch. "So that's why you were hiding this? Because you felt sorry for me? Is that it?"

"No, Takeba, I…" Yukari didn't spare the redhead a glance as she darted out of the room.

"Um… Shouldn't someone go after her?"

Mitsuru turned to Minato, discomfort apparent in her brown orbs. "Will you go…?"

As the boy left the room, I reclined, letting my head rest against the plush couch.

_"Miss Shirogane?" A small purple head, swathed in bandages, looked up from the pillow it had been resting on. Two green eyes met the sympathetic gaze of an unknown man, devoid of any emotion. "Miss Shirogane, your sister is here to see you." The six year old only turned her head, not wanting to see the child standing at the foot of the hospital bed.  
><em>

_"It's okay, Nao-chan. Why don't I let you two talk for a little bit?"  
><em>

_"…'Kay…"  
><em>

_There was silence for a while after that, broken only by the beep of a heart monitor, and the awkward fidgets of a sad five year old.  
><em>

_"Kas?"  
><em>

_"..." _

_"Kas, remember how daddy would read us those detective stories, but then he'd always have us tell him the ending?"_

_The girl in the bed just sighed, finally meeting her sister's gray eyes. Her own widened to see that they brimmed not with tears, but with a nostalgic happiness one would never expect to see in such a young child._

_"Yeah, and when we were sad, he'd always poke us in the belly, tell us to… to smile…"_

_"I loved Mommy and Daddy…"_

_"So did I…"_

* * *

><p> I sighed, my slightly unfocused gaze still on the door Yukari had fled through. I always had such a high regard for my parents, even after their passing. Whenever I was sad, I could always think back on them, and smile… But seeing the hurt in the girl's eyes, I couldn't help but wonder... What would have happened if I didn't have that anymore? What if the memory of my father had been tarnished, and now I couldn't even mourn his passing because of some horrible thing he did?<p>

Despite my constant annoyance with Yukari, I suddenly felt overwhelming sympathy for her. I stared at the door for only a few more moments, before I rose to my feet. _  
><em>

"I'm gonna go check on them…"

I ran out of the villa, down to the beach, where I could easily see a splash of blue I knew too well.

"_Hey!_" I reached them in a heartbeat, casting my gaze between the two, both of whom were avoiding the others gaze, tension in the air. "Sorry, was I interrupting something?"

"A- Ah, no! Nothing…"

"Ooookay then…" I sighed, not wanting to think about what the two of them could have possibly been doing. "Anyway, it's almost the Dark Hour, so… Yeah."

"Oh yeah, that's right… I-I almost forgot... It doesn't matter where you are when the Dark Hour comes." Yukari definitely seemed preoccupied with other thoughts. I tried not to think about how annoying that was to me. "You know, I've been thinking lately… Once you awaken to the power of Persona, you remember everything that happens during the Dark Hour… It's like trading away your innocence. In exchange for power, you can no longer look away from things you don't want to see." During her – admittedly deep – monologue, she had turned around to stare at the ocean, but now she faced us again. "So, I guess I'm stuck with you guys, huh?"

"No matter how hard I try to get rid of you!"

"…I'm kidding."

I turned, ready to head back to the Kirijo home, Yukari following closely after me.

* * *

><p>Minato stepped forward, preparing to follow the girls, when a queasy feeling made him stop in his tracks. He had experienced the same sensation earlier. It was as if he were being watched.<p>

"Minato?"

The boy met the concerned green eyes of his eccentric dorm mate, who had glanced back at him. He gave a small smile, and the feeling passed.

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~<br>YA-KU-SHI-MA!  
>I seriously did love this vacation, and I very much looking forward to writing the Aigis part of the arc. I was going to put both parts in one super-mega-awesome-ultra-long chapter, but it got late, and I got lazy. Soooo… I guess we'll just have to wait until next time.<br>**

**Well, well, is someone **_**jealous? **_**Muahaha~!  
><strong>

**Oh yeah, Spring Break started, which means I **_**might **_**write a bit more. **

**I'M SORRY NO INABA. THERE'S NOTHING TO WRITE THERE… *Feels guilty*  
><strong>

**So yeah. Nothing really important to say, except I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, because I am slowly getting over a bad case of Writer's Block…**


	16. Chapter 16 Summer Spectacular Part 2

**~~A/N~~  
>Simply put, I am depressed. I'll save you my Sally-Sob story, but it involves my crazy English teacher who apparently hates me and everything I've ever written ever. Seriously, not even a bubbly Italian singing about drawing a circle can make me feel better (Hetalia? Anyone? No…? <strong>**Okay…) But you guys should be happy that I'm not! Because now I feel like doing nothing pertaining to studying for my final exams, so I'm writing this! I've started and restarted this chapter twice, and it's been crap both times. Third time's the charm? **

**Repudium: Ego non sua Persona, etiam in lingua mortua. (Disclaimer: I don't own Persona, even in a dead language)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

July 21th

Okay, how the hell did I get myself into this situation?

As I dragged my feet down yet another hall – which was identical to the one I had just left – I contemplated the stupid actions that had lead me to get lost in a giant vacation home without my cell phone.

I remember it like it was thirty minutes ago…

My roommates – Yukari, Fuuka, and Mitsuru to be exact – had woken up extremely early. How, I had no clue. Our little group stayed up really late last night, what with that really morbid meeting. Their crashing around the room in an attempt to get dressed was what woke me up. I groggily lifted my head, feeling as if I had hundred pound weights strapped to every appendage of my body.

"Whass goin' on?" Exhaustion slurred my words.

"Oh, you're up." Pausing only briefly on her way to the bathroom, Yukari spared me a single glance.

"Yeah, I am… Why am I, again?"

Yukari ignored me in favor of slamming the bathroom door. Instead, Fuuka answered. "We were going to go see the Jyomon-Cedar Tree. Mitsuru-senpai said it was a famous spot on the island."

I rubbed my eyes with one hand, and pulled the blankets up to my chin. "A tree? You're kidding… You go to an _island resort_, and you spend your day looking at a _tree_?"

"It's better than dealing with Stupei at the beach, though." The brunette rejoined the conversation by peeking her head out of the bathroom.

"…Touché," I had to give her that one. "But it's a _tree. _Bo-ring."

"I take it you won't be joining us, then?" Oh, there's Mitsuru. I was wondering when she'd make an appearance. Said redhead materialized from another part of the apartment-like place the owners of this palace called the 'guest-room.'

I shook my head. "Nah… I've seen plenty of trees in my life."

"That is your decision." Mitsuru shrugged. "There is plenty else to do here. As long as you don't get into any trouble, you may do as you please."

And thus, I decided to explore the place a little bit. I swear I didn't mean to get myself totally, completely, and helplessly lost. Because I am a moron, I thought it would be a great idea to leave my cell in my room. "Oh, nobody's going to be calling me. I don't need to bother with that thing." Yeah, right.

Good going, Kasumi.

I had found myself in what I believed to be the west wing, but may very well be the east for all I know. I wanted to smash my head into a wall repeatedly until I induced a coma. That would solve all of my problems.

Instead of taking that way out, however, I sucked it up and continued walking. My footfalls made ominous background music for this pitiful escapade, sending shivers of foreboding down my spine with every 'clack.' Amazing how every noise instantly becomes creepy when you're lost.

At last, I stumbled upon a pair of double doors at the end of the endless halls. Everything about them, from their stainless steel frame, to the filthy, chicken wire imbedded windows, screamed 'do not open.' After a moment of deliberation, I did what I normally do when encountered with something I absolutely should not touch or open no matter what.

I opened them.

The room behind them had the same aura of unfriendliness as they. It was dark; the light let in by the open doors the only thing illuminating it. Dust clung to everything, but I wasn't exactly sure what 'everything' was. I could identify computers, but that was about it. When it came to the strange machines stacked next to the computers, I was completely clueless.

'_I wonder what these are used for…' _I thought idly, advancing farther with uncertain steps. My fingers trailed against one monitor, leaving lines of clean glass in a sea of dirt. Giggling, I added two more lines, then some more, some squigglies here and there, and a few dots.

'Kasumi was here,' the computer screen now read, with some unnecessary decoration around it. I smiled at my handiwork.

Growing bored, I continued with my exploration. Sure, I was still lost, but at least I was lost somewhere interesting.

Eventually, I reached the furthest reaches of the room, which mainly consisted of more strange machines, and a metal table. That was odd… It looked like an operating table, but why would something like that be in a dusty room in the middle – edge? I don't know! – of a Kirijo vacation home? I took a closer look, noting a strange amount of wires that seemed to go from the machines to the table, but were ripped as if what they were hooked up to was torn free. There was also a place to strap in ankles, wrists, and head, reminiscent of a torture device. I shuddered. My imagination immediately filled with images of some sort of killer robot breaking free, killing scientists that attempted to control it, and then going on a murderous rampage throughout the place. '_Oh, my god! What if it's already killed the others? What if it's made it's way to the mainland already? I could be the sole surviving human in all of Japan! I have to stop it! I must be the hero of mankind- what the hell am I thinking?' _

I managed to stop my ridiculous thoughts, and began to calm my erratic heartbeat. God, I really was insane. I needed to be institutionalized. '_I mean, honestly. A killer robot? Jeez, it's probably some really old experiment that- HOLY SHIT!' _At that moment, a shape appeared in the doorway, the light of the doorway making only its silhouette visible. "AGH! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME, KILLER ROBOT!"

The shape extended one hand, presumably to use some kind of futuristic robot weapon to blast me into ribbons, and then…

…A bright light temporarily blinded me, and when it cleared, I could see the face of the newcomer.

"Kasumi?"

"Ikutsuki-san?" Sure as day, there stood Shuji Ikutsuki stood before me, a flashlight in his hand the source of the blinding light. Yep. He does exist only to terrify me. "W-w-what are you doing in here?" He didn't answer immediately, opting to take a few steps closer, eyes fixed on the strange table next to me. "I swear it was like that when I found it!"

The middle-aged man just pursed his lips. "Oh? How strange…"

* * *

><p>While Kasumi was getting herself lost, the three other female SEES members weren't any better off, though their bad situation stemmed only from excessively bad moods. It seems that even after learning the truth, Yukari and Mitsuru were still not comfortable with each other. Poor Fuuka was caught in the middle of it, wishing their hyperactive companion were with them to lighten up the mood.<p>

"Ah, the air is so fresh…" The teal haired girl started, hoping to get the others to start talking. "I never thought a walk in the woods could be so enjoyable. You can't do that in Iwatodai."

"…"

"…"

Fuuka sighed. So much for that. Steeling her nerves, she tried again. "Oh, so listen to this. Junpei was acting like such a pervert yesterday, and I didn't know how to react... It's probably a good thing we came out here by ourselves."

"Huh?" Yukari asked, as if just then realizing the others were there. "…Oh, yeah…"

Breaking the awkward tension was the loud ringing of Mitsuru's cell phone. Fuuka wryly though of that old expression, 'saved by the bell.'

"Mitsuru speaking." When she heard who it was on the other line, she immediately put it on speakerphone for the others to hear. "Please continue."

"Uh… It seems we have a slight problem." Ikutsuki's voice spoke.

"And it was _not_ my fault! I didn't touch anything!" That was Kasumi, which made the others roll their eyes. It was definitely a bad idea to leave her to her own devices.

"Well…" Ikutsuki continued. "I went to visit the part of the lab that was _supposed to be off limits.*" _That was obviously directed to the purple haired girl, who answered it with an indignant shout and an assertion that she was just lost. "…And a machine that was considered inoperable suddenly left the facility on its own…"

"A machine…?" Yukari questioned.

Fuuka began to focus. She couldn't do anything without her Evoker, though. "What kind of machine is it? I need detailed information to locate anything other than Shadows."

"It's a combat vehicle- an anti-Shadow weapon, to be precise."

Yukari drowned out Kasumi's shouts of surprise with her own sentiment. "A combat vehicle…? You mean like a tank?" Most likely, she was thinking the same thing everyone was. How the hell can a tank get up and walk away by itself? Despite her confusion, Yukari began calling the guys.

"We're not currently with the others, so it might take some time for us all to assemble." Mitsuru explained.

"I see...well, regardless, I want you to handle this as soon as possible. Kasumi and I are on our way there now." In the background, a voice asking 'what does this button do?' could be heard.

"If the target cannot be captured, do we have permission to destroy it?"

Ikutsuki laughed. "I highly doubt you'll be able to destroy it."

"What?" Fuuka said despairingly. "Then how are we supposed to stop it…?"

"Just do your best. I'll call you again later." When Mitsuru pocketed her phone, Yukari let out a frustrated groan.

"Great! No one's answering!"

"Don't worry about it. Let's go back and get our equipment. Then we can have Yamagishi's Persona scan the area... Although, this island is quite large..."

"Jeez, where could they be?"

* * *

><p>Where could they be? Well, they were teenage boys.<p>

They were staying at a beach resort.

Open to the public.

And hot girls.

Where the hell do you think they were?

At that moment Yukari was fruitlessly attempting to contact them, the three SEES boys were lamenting their failed 'Operation Babe Hunt,' and recovering from that **ahem** beautiful woman's… charms…

"This sucks… We're zero for three…" Junpei complained, and Akihiko sighed. Minato? Well, he embraced the situation as he did everything – with apathy. The others were, though, and they were quite bent out of shape.

"What's wrong?" Junpei asked his senpai. "I thought you weren't interested in picking up chicks."

"If I'm in a match, I want to win. I know what our problem is... You can't control yourself."

"What? Don't blame this on me!"

"I'm just stating the obvious."

"B-but, you haven't scored either!"

Akihiko's face twisted into a scowl. "What did you just say…? Enough already! Leader, whose fault do you think it is?"

Minato glanced from one teenager to the other, as if deep in thought.

"Hm… Both of you." He nodded, satisfied with his answer. He was… The others weren't.

"I won't accept a stalemate! It's either him or me!"

"Yeah! This is serious... Now tell us... Who's..." Junpei trailed off, eyes fixated on a spot in the distance.

"What's the matter…? …You see something?" Minato and Akihiko followed the other's line of sight, to find quite a spectacle.

There was, standing on the pier, a beautiful young girl, staring out into the ocean. That term wasn't used lightly. Indeed, the girl was dazzling, with short blond hair blowing in the breeze, a pastel blue dress fluttering along with it, pale white skin, and soft blue eyes… It was enough to make Junpei drool.

"Talk about savin' the best for last…! Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Man, she's cute!"

Akihiko and Minato definitely agreed.

"This is our last chance to make up for failures...but this time we should try one-by-one instead of all together. We'll have a better shot that way." Junpei strategized.

"Sounds like a good plan."

"Alright, then let's decide the order! We'll go clockwise starting with the winner. Ready… Rock… Paper… Scissors!"

'_Paper has never failed me!' _Minato thought as he laid his hand flat, only to deflate instantly when he saw his companion's hands. Rock, and scissors. Put simply, he lost.

'_Oh, screw you, paper.'** _

"Yeah, I win!" Junpei cheered, excitement written all over his face. "Okay, I'll go first, Akihiko-san will go second, and you'll go last, Minato. I'm up! With me luck!"

Nobody wished him luck.

From his hiding spot behind a large rock, Minato couldn't hear what his friend said to the girl, but after a very brief exchange – during which the girl didn't even turn around – Junpei skulked back. "Sh-sh- she's a tough one, senpai." He choked, looking genuinely close to tears. Minato rolled his eyes, not wanting to bother with his melodramatic attitude.

Akihiko managed to speak to the girl for a little bit longer, but was eventually rejected. He claimed he won because he spoke to her longer than Junpei, and ended up arguing with said boy while Minato silently approached the pier. The bickering boys managed to stop their fight long enough to wish him luck, and put a little bit of pressure on him.

"If you can't pull this off, I'm gonna be traumatized for the rest of my life."

"We're on the ropes, but it's not over yet... It's all up to you now."

When Minato was mere feet away from the girl, he spoke. "The tide is high…" Did he really just say that? Was that really the only thing his mind could come up with at that moment? He resisted the urge to groan, instead deciding to roll with the punches. He was Minato Arisato, dammit. No lady can resist him.

Surprisingly enough, the girl immediately turned at the sound of his voice. "… You are… Initiating evasive maneuver. Confirmation must be made at a secure location." With that as the only warning, the mysterious girl took off, disappearing into the woods.

Minato watched, shock barely visible on his face, as his two friends ran up.

"Hey, what did you say to make her run away like that?" Junpei accused. Minato just shrugged. "Well, what're you waiting for? Go after her! Go tell her you're sorry! If you don't, we'll all be in trouble! Go on, man. You can catch her if you hurry!"

And thus, Minato took off running into the forest in nothing but his swim trunks, in order to catch up to a strange girl he knew nothing about.

* * *

><p>I hate trees.<p>

Let's just establish that right now.

I.

Hate.

Trees.

As Ikutsuki and I were making our way through the forest, I managed to run into at least three of them, leaving me with a very large bruise on my forehead. I blamed my klutz-y behavior on Ikutsuki, who was progressing much slower than I. Every time I started running forward, I'd turn to check on the elder man, only to smack face-first into a wall of bark. Every damn time!

Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. "Ikutsuki-san, I'm going to run on ahead. You can catch up, okay? Okay good." Without waiting for permission, I delved further into the forest at breakneck speed. Oh, the freedom of being able to run without waiting for an older man! Oh, it felt so nice- OW! "Who the hell put that tree there?"

Though it took way too long, I eventually made my way to the Jyomon-Cedar Tree, which had been the girls' original destination. In the clearing there was a very familiar blue head.

"Minato- wait, what?" I wasn't focused on the fact that he was currently only wearing a swimsuit, no. That I could deal with. What I didn't understand was the strange blond girl currently embracing him.

"…STRANGER DANGER! MINATO! DO YOU NEED AN ADULT?"

Minato turned his head, without separating from the girl, to meet my gaze. He simply rolled his eyes.

"There you guys are!" To increase the awkward level of this already extremely awkward moment, Yukari, Fuuka, and Mitsuru decided to arrive. Their reaction was similar to mine, minus the screaming.

"Um, what are you doing in the middle of the woods, in your swimsuits…?" Fuuka asked.

"You have no idea what we've- huh?" It seemed Yukari had noticed the girl. "Who's this?" She didn't look happy, either.

Ignoring everything else strange in this situation, Mitsuru got down to business immediately. "Listen, we've encountered a problem. I'm sorry to interrupt your vacation, but I need you all to go back to the house and prepare for battle."

"That won't be necessary. We've found what we were looking for."

"Oh what the-" I jumped, clutching my chest. "Stop appearing out of nowhere!"

At Ikutsuki's sudden appearance, the blond girl separated herself from Minato silently.

Wait… What?

Ikutsuki sighed, looking relieved. "You had me worried. You don't have permission to leave the lab on your own, Aigis."

Wait… WHAT?

* * *

><p>* In the game, it just says Aigis was in the lab, but since I was in a really dark mood when writing this, I went with a darker atmosphere. It's an inconsequential detail, though. So don't worry about it.<p>

** This is from the play through I read this from, 'My Life is a Goddamn Mess.' I couldn't help myself.

**~~Author's Note~~  
>Writing this did actually put me in a better mood. Huh. Yay!<br>**

**I really didn't want to have to make three parts of this Summer Spectacular, but I guess I will, seeing as I chose to cut it off here, even though this is pretty short… Oh well. And hopefully I'll get back into Inaba soon. Sorry about neglecting that aspect of this story for so long… m(_ _)m  
><strong>

**I don't have much to say here. Even though I am feeling better after writing this, I still am not satisfied with the result. Sorry, guys.**

**I have Finals starting tomorrow and going through Wednesday of next week. Then I'll be FREE. **

**Until next time! **


	17. Chapter 17 Summer Spectacular Part 3

**Disclaimer: DENMARK! WHY YOU NO WIN AGAINST GERMANY? *****Ahem* I mean… I don't own Persona… or Atlus… or a winning football/soccer team. **

**Chapter 17**

July 21st

I come from a long line of world-class detectives. World-class detectives are very good at understanding things. Which is why I tend to get a little bit irritable when something arises that goes beyond my understanding.

I think it goes without saying that I am not very fun to be around when irritable.

"I apologize for all the trouble." Ikutsuki started. After a lot of general confusion out in the forest, he had led us back inside the manor, promising to explain things.

"Everything is under control now."

I nodded slowly. "Okay, that's good. Under control is good. But do you wanna explain the girl without feet who may or may not be the combat machine you sent us out to capture?" Crossing my arms, I sent my best glare towards the middle-aged man.

Said man just sighed. "I think it would be best for you to see for yourselves. Come here, Aigis."

At Ikutsuki's summons, the blond girl from earlier reemerged. She had ditched the blue dress in favor of what looked like white and gold armor. Actually, the more I looked at her, the more… robotic she seemed. A red bow adorned her neck, giving the appearance of a schoolgirl. Her emotionless blue eyes swept over everyone before finally resting on Minato, who stood between Akihiko and me.

"This is Aigis." Ikutsuki said. "As you can see, she is a 'mechanical maiden.'"

She… is a robot.

Well, that explains everything. The great mystery is finally solved, and everything is crystal clear now!

"I am Aigis." The machine repeated as confirmation. "My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately."

"She's joining SEES? But-" My unformed question was ignored, buried under the disbelieving sounds of my teammates.

"No way… It's like she's… alive."

"This is unbelievable…"

"She's so cute… but… she's a robot…" Junpei's face was dusted a light pink color, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Yeah, wonderful. Cute robot, but I still don't underst-"

"Anti-Shadow weapons were created ten years ago to combat uncontrollable Shadows." Completely ignoring me, Ikutsuki began to explain. "Aigis was the last to be made… And she's the only one that still remains today."

Mitsuru opened her mouth as if to say anything, but my irritation got the better of me. "_Would someone mind explaining how Aigis can battle Shadows if she's a robot?" _I practically screeched.

All eyes turned to me.

"I thought that the only way to fight Shadows was to use a Persona. I'm still not clear as to what Personae are… But I do have a middle school education, and I can define the word easily enough. It's an aspect of someone's personality."

"Um, Kasumi…" Someone – I wasn't sure who – started.

"Every science fiction novel I have read – and that's a lot – have been clear on one point; _robots don't have personalities. _Therefore, it can be assumed that 'Aigis' would not be able to summon a Persona." By the end of my little rant, everyone in the room had fallen silent. Nobody really knew what to say.

"That is incorrect." A single, flat voice rang out. It was the robot in question that spoke, removing her gaze from Minato to rest on myself. "I am capable of operating the Persona 'Palladion.'"

"Well. Okay, then. Thank you for explaining." I smiled. Though no proper explanation had been given, I have believed a lot more with a lot less evidence. One time, Naoto tricked me into believing our grandfather was secretly Santa Claus with only a shred of ribbon and a carrot. But that's beside the point. I was satisfied with the knowledge given.

"As I was saying," I think Ikutsuki was getting tired of interruptions. "She suffered major damage in combat and has remained in the lab ever since. After a while, the lab here fell into disrepair, leaving us to accept that she would remain inoperable. If Kasumi is to be trusted-" Here, he cut is bespectacled eyes to me. I widened my smile as way of confirmation. "-and she did not press any buttons, I do not know why she suddenly reactivated herself this morning. Well, I hope you all get along."

Fuuka stepped forward, seeming fascinated by the robot girl. "An anti-Shadow weapon with a will of her own… This is amazing!"

'_Awesome!' _I thought. _'I love understanding things… HOLD THE PHONE!' _One last thing I didn't quite get pricked at my mind.

"Hey, wait…"

"Kasumi…" Yukari sighed, exasperated.

"I just wanna know why Miss Machine was being all cuddly with Mister Stoic over here. You're curious too, right?"

"Actually…" Frowning, the brunette turned towards Aigis. "It did seem like you knew him."

Aigis nodded stiffly and turned to stare at Minato yet again. "Yes. It is very important for me to be by his side."

"Well _that's_ not creepy at all." I rolled my eyes.

Ikutsuki looked puzzled. "Hmm… Perhaps her identification system is malfunctioning… Or maybe she's still half asleep. This is quite interesting. Hmm… Well, I can ponder this later. Oh, I forgot to tell you all... You can participate in a wide range of recreational activities here. There's a tennis court, a pool table, even a karaoke machine. Would you care to hear me sing?"

"Um, I think you can take the awkward silence for a 'no.'"

_Ping_

_Pong_

_Ping_

_Pong_

I propped my chin on my fist as I followed the little white blur that was the ping-pong ball. Minato and Junpei had been playing each other for the past ten minutes, and I was growing bored. My fellow juniors appeared to be feeling the same, while Akihiko was absorbed in the blue notebook he was currently scribbling in. When I questioned him, I discovered it to be no more than a workout regimen and lost interest quickly. Aigis apparently didn't have the capacity to feel boredom, as she was still as entranced by the match as everyone else had been ten minutes ago. Mitsuru was nowhere to be found, the spoilsport.

_Ping_

_Pong_

_Ping_

"Ugh… Someone score a point already! Or at least do cool tricks or _something _to make this more entertaining."

Without taking his eyes from the ball, Junpei remarked, "Y'know, you don't _have _to watch us. There's other stuff to do. This place is huge!"

I shook my head. "No. I've invested ten minutes of my life into this game. I am morally obligated to watch until the end. But for the love of tomatoes, this is so _boring!" _I threw my arms up to demonstrate my utter frustration at this situation.

Minato glanced at me briefly, managing to hit the ball without looking. "Tomatoes?"

"Tomatoes."

To my right, Yukari stood up. "Play me in air hockey, Fuuka?"

"Um, okay." The two girls disappeared, leaving me alone with the boys and a robot, neither of which offered much conversation.

"Ya know, I'm gonna start commentating on this game in the most ridiculous French accent until one of you messes up." I decided. "Oh hon, and we 'ave Minato vith a hard spike, but Junpei isn't giving up zhat easily! _Très bien, _Junpei! Zhat vas a vonderful return! But Minato von't be out-shined! Zhey could keep zhis up all night long~! Ah, zhe sound of zhe pinging and zhe ponging reminds me of my 'ome in Pari'. Hon hon, Minato eez getting aggressive. Junpei vill 'ave to step up 'is game~! Eet's Junpei! _Non, _Minato! Now eet iz Junpei! Minato! Junpei! Minato! ! _And Minato scores!" _The ball soared passed Junpei's outstretched paddle, bouncing off of the table and onto the floor.

"Kasumi!" The looser complained. "Your crazy accent distracted me! I demand a rematch!"

Minato, however, just set his paddle down. "I won fair and square."

As the blue haired boy passed me, I held out my hand for a high-five, which he returned with a small smile.

"Okay, my turn!" I stood up, walking towards the table. "I wanna play against Aigis!"

The blond robot turned her attention to me. "I am not programmed for such recreational activities. I do not think I will be able to operate at the optimum setting for such a sport."

"Oh, c'mon, Aigis!" Junpei, apparently recovered from his defeat, nudged her forward. "All you gotta do is hit the ball!"

"Okay… I will try to play this… 'Ping-pong.'"

I smiled, bouncing a new ball beneath my paddle. "Awesome! I'll serve first, okay?" "That is acceptable."

I sent the ball slowly towards the robot. I figured I'd go easy on her, as she obviously had no clue what she was doing.

Those inhuman eyes homed in on the projectile and her mechanical arm reared back in preparation. Then – _crack! _

I didn't see it coming – literally. Aigis had hit the ball with such strength that it was impossible to follow. With no idea where to swing, I flailed my paddle wildly in a last ditch effort to return the ball. Something small hit my forehead with such force that I stumbled back a few steps. My grip on the paddle I was still swinging loosened, and it slipped through my fingers.

"Agh!"

Rubbing my forehead, I glanced to my right. Minato was sitting where I had minutes before, and he didn't look happy. His hand was covering his one usually visible eye, and my paddle lay next to him. It didn't take a detective to figure out what happened there.

"I'm so sorry…! Um, Aigis, I don't think you're able to operate at the optimum setting for this sport…"

July 22nd

The last day of our trip had finally arrived, and all of SEES elected to spend it on the beach. The guys and I were the first to get there.

"Man, it's already the third day of our trip." Junpei remarked, staring out at the ocean wistfully. "It's too bad we have to go home tomorrow… I'd totally stay if I could. But I can't complain. A lot of cool things happened while we were here."

"Yeah…" Minato glared at me. The look really accentuated his newly acquired black eye.

"Hey, why are you mad at me? I'm a victim here, too!" To prove my point, I brushed my bangs out of my face to show off the third eye I was sporting on my forehead in the form of a nasty bruise.

"Next time, you shouldn't make you lose with your stupid accents! You might not've played Aigis if you hadn't!" Junpei teased.

"My accents are freaking amazing, jerk!"

Akihiko sighed. "…How can you tow be so full of energy? We were all up so late last night…"

I turned to him with a smirk. "The answer is simple, senpai! An unhealthy amount of caffeine!"

At that moment, the other girls showed up along with Aigis. …Who is a girl, I guess…

"Do we have a mission at the beach today?" She asked, though with her flat voice, it was almost impossible to distinguish it as a question.

"Nah, it's nothing like that. We just came here to have some fun." Junpei explained with a carefree smile.

"Do you understand what it means to 'have fun,' Aigis?" Ever curious about the workings of the robot, Fuuka questioned her.

"Of course. Recreation is the refreshment of one's mind and body."

Junpei nodded happily. "Exactly! Wow, you sure know a lot about us humans. Alright, let's take one last dip before we leave!" The boy led the machine towards the waves, which sounds like an absolutely abysmal idea. 'Machine' and 'waves' aren't words you usually use in a sentence together, unless it is 'the machine should avoid the waves unless it wants to short circuit and die.'

Fuuka seemed to share my concern. "Uh, hold on, Junpei-kun… Is it okay for Aigis to go into the ocean?"

Yukari waved her off. "Oh, I'm sure she's waterproof."

They continued into the water, but Aigis quickly returned.

"What's wrong, Aigis?"

"It is best that we all engage in this activity together. An activity in which only one person derives enjoyment is not the optimal way to 'have fun.'"

Yukari, Fuuka and Mitsuru exchanged glances before shrugging and running after the robot. I watched, as the five seemed to break off into two groups and began a water battle. It was Yukari, Mitsuru, and Aigis against Fuuka and Junpei, a very odd choice of teams. Plus, I didn't really expect Mitsuru to actually participate. I think Ikutsuki showed up after a while, but my attention was on the teens in the ocean. Their battle had soon dissolved into a 'beat up Junpei' fest.

"Wait, are we teaming up against Junpei? I like teaming up against Junpei!" I decided to join them. Splashing into the surf, I began kicking as much water as I could towards the only boy.

"Wait!" He spluttered, struggling to stay standing. "Now that Kasumi's here, we can have even teams! Please! Have mercy on my soul!"

Minato watched his teammates having fun in the ocean. Poor Junpei looked completely haggard, with his hat askew and water dripping into his eyes. The usually expressionless boy found his lips twist up into a grin as Kasumi snuck up from behind him, pulling him into the waves with a shout of triumph.

Strange.

He wasn't used to smiling this much. Minato wasn't one for letting his emotions shine through like that. Not because he was an emotionless machine like Aigis, but because that was the mask he wore. It protected him. But, ever since he joined SEES, he had found a different protection – one he hadn't really had since the accident ten years ago.

Friendship.

He remembered one of the first times he ever awoke to find himself in the Velvet Room. Igor had told him that his power would grow as he strengthened his bonds of friendship. At the time, he had brushed it off as a ridiculous notion. But now…

Minato was starting to realize the true power of the bonds between people.

Minato shook his head, wincing as his swollen eye stung. Like Aigis, he knew what it meant to 'have fun.' But until recently, he had believed the optimal way to have fun _was _to be alone. Living in the dorm, and especially on this trip… During Operation Babe Hunt… During the Ping-pong game… He realized how wrong he had been.

'_Thou art I, and I am thou.' _

Time seemed to freeze as the mysterious yet familiar voice whispered in his head.

Again, Minato smiled.

**~~Author's Note~~  
><strong>

**I recently got back from a two-week-long vacation, and kinda just fell on my bed, determined never to move again. So that's what I've been doing for the past… week? Week and a half? I had most of this written before, which is why the disclaimer references the Germany/Denmark game in the Euro cup of a few weeks ago. I just didn't really have the time or energy to upload it. AND IT'S SHORT. RAWR. BUT NEXT CHAPTER WE GET MORE INABA FUN. AND KASUMI GOES TO VISIT NAOTO AGAIN SOON. AND MAYBE THE TWO STORIES MIGHT ACTUALLY START BLENDING. YAAAAY. **

**Sorry… I'm both hyper and exhausted at the same time.**

**Sorry this chapter is short, and if it seems sub-par, I'm sorry. I was editing this so late, and because I started writing this, stopped for a long period of time, then picked it back up, it was hard to keep going.**

**On a random note, I noticed the new 'image manager' thing... It's times like these I wish I could draw, so I could make a kick- ass picture for this story. **

** Oh, I should have said this last time, but I was too… depressed.  
><strong>

**Thank you all for the 50+ reviews. I don't have time to respond to them all sometimes, but I take to heart every word. They mean a lot to me. *****Wipe tear***** Without them, I wouldn't have had the motivation to even get past chapter three. Thank you to all of you.**

**Here's a virtual muffin. **

**...When editing this, I read one sentence as "but I take to word every heart." I reread it three times, trying to figure out why it was worded like that, then I realized I had written it correctly, it's three thirty in the morning, and the most coherent thought I can muster up is "Hello, my name is potato." I should go to bed. **


	18. I am so sorry

Everything is shit.

For my entire life, I have suffered from unnaturally low self-esteem.

Okay, that's an understatement. I have suffered from self-esteem lower than the Grand Canyon that I repeatedly pound into the ground with a sledgehammer.

Right now, I'm at a low point. I don't really know why yes I do, but I'm not about to pour my soul out here.

As a result of my self-esteem issues, I can't make myself write. Everything I do write I'm not pleased with. I'm not saying this so you'll all say things like "oh you're a wonderful writer," "we love your story," or anything like that. I _know _I have _some_ talent for writing. Otherwise, I wouldn't have so many wonderful reviewers and followers. But I'm just having a hard time seeing it right now.

I just recently went on a mini-hiatus, and it's not fair of me to do so again. I'm so sorry for that. I just need time to get back on my feet. And hey, that might be a month, or even just a couple of days.

Until then, there are plenty of wonderful stories on this site that you can read. I hope that when I come back, you'll all still be here to welcome me back.

And to make it up to you guys, I'll propose a deal. When I get over my stupid pity-party, I'll post two chapters a month. That seems impossible to me right now and a part of my brain is yelling at me to stop being an idiot. But you guys have been amazing. It's the least I can do.  
>Thank you all so much.<br>I'm sorry I'm such a bad person. I still have a giant kitten to defeat, but I can't even do that because I feel so bad about myself. Erg!

I'll see you again, hopefully soon.

-Nicole


	19. Chapter 18 - The Triumphant Return

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my original character. **

…

**And your soul.**

**Chapter 18**

July 23rd

People get mad at me for the strangest things.

I mean, I don't find anything wrong with singing road trip songs for three hours straight and initiating random games of "I Spy" to pass the time on a long-ass trip from Yakushima to Port Island. But it was for exactly that reason Mitsuru was lecturing me when we finally arrived home.

Honestly, I was so relieved to be out of that cramped train that I completely forgot the lecture as soon as I entered the dorm.

"Couch! I missed you so much!" My suitcase hit the floor as soon as I crossed the threshold and I launched myself at the couch I knew so well. I landed facedown, breathing in the familiar scent of the dorm. Not that I didn't enjoy the Yakushima trip, but _god._ A girl could only take so much fun.

"Agh, Kasumi, what the heck!" Yukari's voice held a clear amount of annoyance. From the sound of it, she had tripped over my discarded bag. "You can't just leave your stuff here!"

"Psssh, you don't know me! You can't tell me how to live my life!" The cushion muffled my words slightly.

"Shirogane, please take your luggage to your room..." Mitsuru was growing tired of my bullshit; that much was obvious.

"I will never separate myself from this heavenly spot again. Myself and this pillow are in love, and you'll not come between us!"

"Ummm..."

Another loud voice interrupted before anything else could be said about my pillow love affair.

"Man, I'm _beat!"_ It was Junpei, just now catching up with the group. "It seemed to take forever to get back..." The brunette plopped down on the couch I was sprawled on. His rear end narrowly missed my feet.

Fuuka entered around the same time and - thankfully - sat down on the chair adjacent to me. "Yeah, it was a tiring trip. Please rest up so you're ready for the next operation."

"Is nobody going to comment on the fact that Junpei nearly sat on me?" I still hadn't removed my face from the cushion, but even then I could tell the others were tired of dealing with me.

"Yeah, yeah. I don't have any plans for summer break, so I can fight Shadows all you want." The aforementioned Junpei carried on with the conversation as if I hadn't spoken.

"Hey. Don't ignore me."

Again my words were ignored as Yukari joined the slowly growing group in the lounge. "Wow. You must really be bored."

"Sh-shut up, Yuka-tan!"

"Guys, I'm still here."

"Whatever. We just have to defeat those last six, and it'll all be over. The Lost will get better, and everything will be back to normal, right? That's why we have to try our hardest." Yukari quickly switched the mood from light-hearted to serious.

I sighed, sitting up stiffly. "Oh, whatever. Not that anyone cares or anything, but I'm going to my room," no one looked up, "so I guess I'll just..." Like a true ninja, I began creeping towards the staircase, hoping they would continue to pretend I didn't exist.

"Shirogane, your things are still by the door."

'_Damn it.'_

I groaned and staggered dramatically. "But Mitsuru-senpai, it's heaaaaaavy..."

"I don't care about that. You cannot just leave your belongings wherever you wish."

"Hah, so you say."

"Shirogane."

"Kirijo."

"Pardon me?" Mitsuru's eyes were cold, and she was surrounded by a don't-push-me aura that made me want to do my best to push her. However, her cold eyes held an obvious warning. I could tell following my inborn desire to bother the hell out of people would probably land me in serious trouble. I opened my mouth to respond with a perfectly thought out response that would fit the situation perfectly, but then -

"I'll get it." Minato _freaking_ Arisato stood from his place in the lounge and marched resolutely to where my baggage had been discarded.

"Thank you, Arisato." The senior nodded once before returning to ignoring my presence.

Minato merely glanced at me briefly, dipping his head a fraction of an inch, and I knew I was in deep shit. You see, I had pretty much forgotten about the incident that had occurred between the two of us before Yakushima. You remember the one... The whole 'he suspects I'm doing something illegal or some shit and expects me to tell him just what's going on' incident. I ran a hand through my hair, groaning once again.

"Damn it all to the fiery pits of Hell."

* * *

><p>"Yes, I understand." Naoto Shirogane hung up the phone and sighed. It was times like these she really hated her job. Well, no. To be fair, she was fairly sure she liked the capability to truly hate her job. However, she couldn't help but be insanely frustrated by the current state of the case. According to the police department, though they had identified a suspect, they couldn't actually locate the boy. In short, he was missing.<p>

Naoto's clever mind was racing at a mile a minute. If the suspect himself had gone missing, does that mean he was kidnapped as well? But the killer only targeted those shown on television, right? No - even that had been thrown into doubt by the most recent murder. And why wait for so long before making another move? She removed her hat, running a hand through her already tousled hair. "Damn it all."

She picked up the discarded phone, dialing the now familiar number.

* * *

><p>I shifted from one foot to the next, trying my hardest to pretend I was anywhere else but where I was, which was outside my dorm room with Mister Silent-And-Brooding.<p>

"It's later, you know."

I allowed my eyes to meet his for a moment before turning back to the floor. "So it is. Excellent deduction. Would you like a cookie?"

"Yes. I would."

"Well too damn bad. You don't get a cookie." I smirked slightly, confident in my victory. When the blue-nette didn't stick his tail between his legs and skulk off, overwhelmed by my obvious intellectual superiority, I sighed. "Fine! Fine! Look, it's not like I'm hiding some huge, life-changing secret. It was just easier not to tell anybody because it's kind of complicated."

"I'm listening."

I inhaled deeply and began my story. "Okay, so. My younger and only sister is a cross-dressing detective that lives in Inaba. Oh, she has to cross dress because society doesn't really accept female detectives, you know? So she's this hotshot private detective, and she was assigned to this convoluted murder case. Well, I just said it was convoluted, so I don't need to repeat that. But, yeah. It was giving her some trouble, so she called her awesome, genius older sister for help! So, I've been helping her... Hack into police databases, look into suspects, make obscure anime references, come up with stupid theories... That kind of stuff. But things have recently gotten even more complicated, because everything we thought was true about the killer has just been pretty much thrown out the window, and we really don't know where to go from here. So that's that. The end!"

"...I see." Minato nodded slightly, appearing deep in thought.

I scoffed. "That's it? 'I see'? Not, 'wow, that's such an amazing story, Kasumi-sama!'"

"You wish." The boy chuckled softly.

At that moment, interrupting whatever snarky reply I was going to think up on the spot, my cell phone rang. I blinked; a little surprised that someone would be calling so late. One look at the caller ID, however, explained everything.

"Heh. Speak of the devil, and she shall appear, huh? Just a second, Minato." I pressed talk and was immediately greeted by a familiar voice.

"_Could a murder suspect end up playing the part of a murder victim?_"

"Come again?"

Naoto's voice sounded exhausted. I imagined she'd been pulling a lot of all-nighters trying to figure out the case.

"_I told you before that the police had found a suspect, correct?" _

I nodded despite the fact that I was talking on a phone. "Yeah... Why? They've arrested him, surely? It's been a while."

"_That's just the thing, though. They can't _find_ him."_

"Wait, he's missing? But... Has he been shown on TV a lot?"

_"No! The whole thing's been kept wrapped up pretty tightly. But the last victim... He wasn't shown on television, either."  
><em>

"So... Is this the killer changing tactics, or is the suspect just running from the cops?" I asked, leaning against my doorframe and ignoring Minato's existence as the others had done to me.

Naoto huffed, slightly indignant. "_If I knew that, would I have called you?" _

My smirk was audible in my voice. "Of course. You love my company."

"_Kasumi, this is serious_."

"Ugh, I know. Look, summer break starts in a week, so I'll be able to come visit you over there. Or, you know, you could come over here and spare me the trip."

"_Sorry, but for the moment, leaving Inaba is out of the question." _

"I figured you'd say that. Alright, then I'll head over as soon as I can."

"_Thank you..."_

I snapped the phone shut after muttering a farewell, turning to face the audience I forgot I had. I grinned sheepishly. "That was her. Looks like I'll be going on another trip sometime soon."

"Ah..." Minato nodded, still with that thoughtful look on his face. "I'll go with you."

"..."

"..."

"...Beg pardon?"

"I'd like to help if I can."

After a few more seconds of awkwardly standing in silence, I broke out into manic laugher. "Hahahahah! Good one, Mina-kun! Wow! Really had me going there! And they say you have no sense of humor!"

"..."

"Holy shit, you were being serious."

* * *

><p>July 24th<p>

"Hey, Mina-kun," I greeted everyone's favorite blue-nette with his new nickname that morning at the school gate. For whatever reason, he hadn't walked to school with Junpei and I as usual. I wasn't big on change, so that was mildly upsetting, "where were you this morning?"

"Yeah, dude. That's not like you, bein' late." Junpei - my only travelling companion - remarked as well.

He merely shrugged. "The new girl decided to pretend to be an alarm clock."

I thought about that statement for a few moments, deciding it made perfect sense. "Ah, well, the life of a player is a difficult one."

"Would you stop with that?"

"Hmm... Nah. Minato Arisato _is_ a player, and I will proclaim it as often as I want."

Junpei just laughed, shaking his head. "Some things never change, huh?"

* * *

><p>The exam results were posted at lunch. Fuuka and I braved the sea of students in order to see whether or not we had failed miserably. Okay, so I'm pretty sure Fuuka was confident in her scores. It was really only me worrying about failing miserably.<p>

A crowd had gathered in front of the bulletin board, so it took a little while to fight our way to the front. Once we made it, I held my breath as I scanned the list.

"Kasumi Shirogane... Kasumi Shirogane... Aha! Hey, I'm completely average! Victory is _mine_!"

After securing my victory, I continued to look over the list, curious about how the other juniors had faired. "Hmm... Fuuka, of course you did awesome... Yukari's pretty average, too... Heh, oh, Junpei... Wait... _How in the name of anything and everything holy did Minato score at the top of the class?!"_

Not only is Minato Arisato a player, I am now convinced _he is not freaking human._

* * *

><p>That night, I decided to try and be social. (Psst, this is where you all gasp in shock.) I went down to the lounge and hung out with the rest of SEES like a civil person. Because, despite what you might think, I can actually function like a normal human being.<p>

It was around eleven o'clock when Minato got home, though. He was carrying a bundle of stuff I couldn't quite identify.

"Hey, what's up?"

Instead of answering my totally normal inquiry, the enigma of a boy dropped his bundle on the coffee table before depositing a long, gleaming sword on my lap. I blinked a few times, regarding the short sword, confused.

"I went for new equipment."

"Oh... Wait, dude. This isn't new. This is your old sword."

Minato only smirked slightly. "I got everyone else new equipment."

"Damn it, why do I always get your hand-me-downs?"

I was used to being brushed off at this point, so I didn't even react when Arisato didn't respond to me, opting instead to address Fuuka. "Can we go to Tartarus tonight?"

"Um, sure. No one really has plans. I'll let everyone know."

* * *

><p>Holy shit.<p>

Holy.

Shit.

When Aigis joined our team, I knew she was going to be skilled. She was a robot specifically designed to murder the crap out of Shadows.

But _hot damn._ Seeing her in action was really something amazing.

I fended off the attack of some disturbing book-shaped Shadow with the blunt of my sword. By the time I had dispatched it, our robot companion had wiped the other three out.

"Let's move on." Akihiko, the other member of the party, nodded, and the four of us advanced to the next floor.

I was so caught up in Aigis's amazing fighting that I barely noticed when we entered an entirely new block of Tartarus. This new place gave off a blue-ish light, and instead of being downright creepy as the last floor was, it had a surprisingly _normal_ design. Not that any part of Tartarus was ever normal, but there was a significantly smaller amount of blood on the tiled floor and a distinct lack of faces protruding from the wall.

We were plunged into another battle before we had taken more than ten steps. I sighed, readying my borrowed blade. I had impressed myself by how well I had adapted to the foreign weapon.

"_The enemy is weak to Agi skills!" _

"Kasum-"

"Don't have to tell me twice, dude." I pressed my evoker to my temple, an action I had gotten used to over the weeks. "Hestia!"

My hooded Persona manifested as usual, raising her lantern. The _maragion_ spell knocked the creatures to the ground. "Now's our chance!"

Our team charged in for an all-out attack. Once the smoke had cleared, no enemies remained to challenge us. I couldn't help but feel proud.

Sure, Aigis kicked some serious ass.

Yeah, Akihiko had awesome lightning skills, too.

Yes, Minato has, like, a million Personae up his sleeve.

But hey! I can contribute, too.

* * *

><p>July 25th<p>

Inaba was as rainy as always, something Souji had come to expect and even anticipate. He headed to school with an umbrella over his head. Thoughts of the Midnight Channel and the case filled his head, and he almost didn't notice the approach of one of his friends.

"Oh, good morning, Souji-kun," Yukiko greeted him with a small smile. She fell in step beside him.

"G'morning."

"Hey, did you see the weather report?" When Souji shook his head, she continued. "The rain's going to lift in the afternoon, but they say it's going to rain all day tomorrow. Wouldn't it be a good idea to check the Midnight Channel? Just in case? The culprit is already wanted by the police, but he's someone the police can't handle to begin with."

Souji nodded, "Yeah, let's check it out."

"Yes. Let's let everyone else know, too."

I was leaning against the wall outside class 2-E that afternoon, scrolling through my phone's calendar. Summer break started tomorrow, so I was hoping to decide when I was going to head to Inaba - excuse me, when _we_ were going to Inaba. For whatever reason, Minato seemed determined to go with me. Maybe he didn't trust me? Or maybe he's just a weirdo.

Yeah, let's go with weirdo.

"Hey."

The expression 'speak of the devil' was becoming _way_ too relevant to my everyday life. "Yes, Mina-kun?" I glanced up to meet the apathetic gaze of my dorm mate.

"About that trip to see your sister..."

"Yeah...? Lemme guess. You've come to your senses and don't want to go with me anymore?"

He smiled slightly. "Not quite."

"Damn. So close."

"Could it be after August second?"

I frowned, glancing down at the calendar still pulled up. "I mean, sure. Yeah, that's cool if you're determined to go. But why so late? Does Mina-kun have a date scheduled~?"

"There's a kendo tournament that day."

"Ooh, sounds exciting. Can I come to cheer you on? I'll make a giant, flashing neon sign and everything!"

"...That's not necessary."

"...Why must you spoil all my fun?"

* * *

><p>"...Hello!" I nearly froze in shock when I arrived home that evening to be greeted by an elementary school kid's voice. It came to my attention, however, that the dorm wasn't under siege by pre-pubescent kids pretty quickly. "My name is Ken Amada. I'll be staying here for a while. I'll try to stay out of everyone's way, so don't mind me." Oh yeaaaah... I remembered the conversation we had had with Ikutsuki that felt like ages ago.<p>

"Nice to meet ya, Ken!" I smiled, though I was unsure of myself. I'd never interacted with children that much. After an admittedly awkward encounter with the kid, I headed to my room. Once I arrived, I shut the door and pulled out my phone. I dialed Naoto's number without hesitation.

"_Hello?"_ She picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, Nao. About that visit? Um... It might be a little while. I mean, no more than a couple of weeks..."

There was silence on the other line for a moment. "_May I ask why the delay?"_

"Well, I have an obligation on the second, so I can't leave before that-"

"_An obligation?" _

"Heh... Yeah, sorry. And then I'll have to leave _after_ the full moon. Soooo... After the sixth of August?"

Naoto's voice seemed devoid of energy when she answered me, and I instantly felt guilty for putting the meeting off like that. "_Why after the full moon?"_

"It's a really long story, Nao..."

"..._I understand, Kasumi. Just, please come when you can." _

"I really am sorry."

"_It's fine."_

* * *

><p>July 26th<p>

The rain showed no sign of stopping that night. Souji stared out his window pensively. He knew there was a possibility something would appear, but he couldn't fathom what it might by. Excluding the suspect, there hadn't been any disappearances around town. No one of note had appeared on the news, either. He bit his cheek in thought as he sat himself in front of his switched-off screen.

Whatever he was expecting to happen, it certainly wasn't he got. Instead of a vague, static-y image, Souji was immediately greeted by a perfectly clear picture. A young boy, no older than any of his friends, stood in front of what appeared to be a castle. His blank stare seemed to fix directly on the viewer.

"...You all think you can see me?" The boy - he was frustratingly familiar - spoke in a monotone voice. "You all think you know everything about me? ... Then try and catch me."

Just like that, the image vanished.

Immediately, Souji's cell phone began to ring. He had a good idea who was calling.

"_Hey, did you see that?!"_ Yosuke didn't even wait to be addressed. "_Who was that guy? I don't know him… Have you ever seen him on the news or some television special? He seemed really gloomy... Like a zombie..."_

Yosuke's musings were quickly replaced by a shrill background noise - a squealing that sounded like 'Yosuke! Yoooooooooooosuke!'

"_Alright, alright! I hear you! Sorry, I'm going to give the phone to Ted."_ Souji nodded, forgetting for a moment that they couldn't see him.

"_Sensei! It's me, Teddie!" _

"Hey, Teddie."

"_I finally got to see the Midnight Channel with my own eyes. Now I know exactly what's happening. That guy's suppressed emotions are resonating with the other side, which are picked up by the TVs over here. It's clear now that it's not being filmed by anyone. Mystery solved! But that kid... He must already be inside the other world! What're we gonna do?!"_

Finally given the chance to respond, Souji said, "We're going in." It was the obvious, simple answer.

_"Gotcha! I knew I could count on you, Sensei!" _

Hearing the trust in Teddie's words, Souji felt the familiar tug on his heart he'd grown so used to. The shattering of glass and voices in his head failed to startle him as the Star social link advanced to rank three. He shook his head slightly, impressed that the link leveled up so easily on its own. He supposed that was one of the things that made Teddie so unique.

"_That's enough, Ted! Give me the phone!"_ Yosuke's loud voice then replaced Teddie's. "_Hey, how could he be already inside!? What happened to the blurry image that we usually see in advance? And did you hear what he said? 'Try and catch me'..."_

"I have no clue."

"_Now that I think about it, he looked like a high schooler. ...Hey, could he be...? Nah, I better not jump to conclusions. Let's meet up at headquarters tomorrow. Alright, later!"_ Souji knew what his partner had been implying when he said that. 'Could he be the suspect?' There was a good possibility he was the killer they'd been searching for. The taunt he gave was warrant enough for that assumption.

Moments after his call with Yosuke ended, Chie's name flashed on his caller ID. He recapped all that had been discussed for her as quickly as possible and headed to bed, the face of the killer still pressed in his mind.

* * *

><p>July 29th<p>

After a day of stressing over a murder case, it was nice to fall into a blissful sleep.

That is, it would have been nice, if I hadn't been awoken during the Dark Hour by Fuuka's distress call.

I practically fell out of my comfortable bed when I heard the broadcast.

"_I detect a Shadow! Please hurry to the fourth floor!" _

I was instantly awake, however, when I finally processed her words. What was a Shadow doing outside of Tartarus before the full moon? I threw on my Gekkoukan jacket over my kitten pajamas as I rushed to the meeting room.

The other juniors, Aigis, and I arrived at the same time, and we entered together. We were greeted by Fuuka and Mitsuru, the former seated at the bank of computers and the latter pacing a few steps behind her. There was no sign of Akihiko.

"What's goin' on?!" Acting as the spokesperson for everyone present, Junpei barked out a frantic question.

"There's a Shadow in the city. Yamagishi found it by chance." Mitsuru explained clinically.

"But... The moon isn't full yet..." Yukari was just as confused as I was, tilting her head to one side. I yawned, the only way I could express my agreement in my tired state.

Fuuka responded with, "Actually, it seems to be just a normal Shadow. However, it _is_ outside of Tartarus..."

"It's near Naganaki Shrine. Akihiko went ahead since he was in the vicinity. I'm sure he can handle it alone, but let's get ready just in case."

We all nodded in understanding and prayed - at least I did - that we wouldn't have to go into battle. I wanted nothing more than to crawl back to bed and dream of dancing pizza and soda fountains.

A few minutes passed while we waited restlessly, and then -

"_I'm here. Sorry, but I think you guys should come right away." _We finally heard back from Akihiko. He sounded unhurt, if not slightly out of breath.

"What's wrong?" Mitsuru asked immediately. "Is it a powerful one?!"

"_No, the Shadow's been defeated. In fact, it was defeated when I got here."_ At that, the seven of us exchanged confused glances. "_The little fella's been injured. I wanna save him if we can." _

No one really knew how to respond to that, but the transmission cut out there.

"Ummm... Little fella?" Despite our confusion, we left immediately.

When we arrived, the sight we were greeted with was horrifying. A familiar shiba inu was collapsed by the steps of the shrine, covered in blood.

"Koro-chan! Are you okay, Koro-chan?" Fuuka gasped, running to its side.

"Doggy, no..." I muttered under my breath. A hand on my shoulder caused me to jump. Minato gave me a sympathetic look, gray eyes for once not quite devoid of emotion.

"You know this dog?" Mitsuru seemed surprised.

Yukari spoke up when no one else did, "Yeah, everyone around here does. We have to help him!"

I stepped forward, tired steps unsteady but sure. "We should try and stop the bleeding first. Let's see... You're supposed to apply pressure."

"Kasumi, do you know what you're doing?

"I honestly have no freaking clue."

"...Okay, then."

I really didn't know what I was doing, my sleep-addled mind still a little fuzzy. Hell, the only reason I knew to apply pressure was because I'd read so much as a child.

"Man, this dog's one tough fighter." Akihiko's words dragged me out of whatever thoughts I was absorbed in. "He defeated the Shadow all by himself."

What.

"Wait, does that mean... This dog's a Persona user?!" Again, Junpei spoke what we were all thinking.

"He says, 'this is a place of peace. So I protected it.'" Aigis spoke up, and it didn't really click in my brain that she'd just translated dog-speak until Junpei questioned her on it. "Canines do not have their own language. However, speech is not the only means of communication_."_

You know what? I am so done.

The dog's a Persona user.

Aigis can speak dog.

Okay.

Yeah, I'm just going to go to sleep.

I'm done.

* * *

><p>August 2nd<p>

"Excuse me, pardon me. 'Scuse me. Get out of my damn way."

Through a weird combination of asking, threatening, and cursing, I eventually found a seat in the crowded stadium. The day had finally come - the day I got to watch Minato kick some serious ass in the kendo tournament. The few days after Koromaru had been injured passed in a kind of blur. I was relieved to know the doggy would be okay, and besides a few trips to Tartarus, nothing really worth noting had happened.

So it was with glee that I headed to the tournament. It was a welcome break from the monotony of summer break. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to construct a flashing neon sign, so Minato would just have to survive without one.

I watched the first few rounds with only mild interest. I really didn't know how the sport was supposed to work. As far as I could tell, it involved swinging sticks at each other and not getting hit. I figured, since Minato had trained so much in the Tower of Hell, he wouldn't have any problem destroying the competition.

_...After the tournament..._

"Minato. Arisato. Get your butt over here."

The blue-haired boy turned around questioningly at my angry approach. He was still in his kendo gear, face glistening with sweat.

"You've been beaten, stabbed, cut, electrocuted, frozen, burned, blown away, had _death_ and _holy fire_ cast upon you... " I advanced with every word, jabbing my finger into his chest, "yet you _lose to some high school student?! _I am disappointed in you, Mister. Disappointed."

"Hey. I did the best I could."

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk."

* * *

><p>August 5th<p>

My phone woke me the morning before the full moon with its annoying ringtone.

"Who wants to be killed...?" I grumbled, flailing my arm to my right until I found the device. I shoved it to my ear and muttered something into the receiver that could pass as a greeting.

"_Kasumi."_

I sat up immediately at the familiar voice. "Oh, hey, Nao. What's up?"

"_I figured I should inform you... The killer has been apprehended."_

If I hadn't been awake before, I definitely was then. "Wait, what?! Really? How?!"

"_Yes, really. I must admit; it surprised me as well. Especially when I realized exactly who had turned the culprit in. Can you guess?" _

"Those kids from before?"

_"Precisely." _

"Then, I guess this means the case is solved. Hurray?"

Naoto sighed. _"It would appear. However..."  
><em>

"You don't think it is, do you?"

"_Too many pieces aren't adding up. Why was there such a long gap between the murders? Why was the third victim's cause of death so easily identifiable while the other two were never confirmed?"_

I smiled to myself. "Well, I've already bought those train tickets. I'll head over anyway in a few days. We can brainstorm together, alright?"  
>"<em>Thank you, Kasumi."<em>

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~<br>**

***Nicole bursts forth from the darkness surrounded by an aura of blinding light*  
><strong>

**Umm... Hi? Wow, it's been a long time. A **_**really**_** long time. Like, almost a year?  
><strong>

**I'm so, so sorry. Does anyone still care about this story anymore? I don't blame you if you don't. **

**I could give you my sob story, but I'll spare you that. Just, I was dealing with some serious emotional issues. Then school started, the emotional issues got better. I had midterms, sunk into depression again, then rose out of it triumphantly when I started playing Persona 4 Arena. (Seriously, it's beautiful. Amazing. If you haven't played it, go do that now. Tears were shed.) Then I played P3P again and decided, screw it. It's time to get down to freaking business. **

**Anyway, I'm trying to get on a regular update schedule. Two chapters a month, hopefully. I missed writing for this story. **

**Also, Minato can't be silent all the time. He wouldn't be able to function that way. He's gotta talk sometime.**

**I really don't know how well this came out, as it's now... 2:48 in the morning. But it's something. Hopefully I'll be back in the swing of things soon.**

**And thank you all so very much, from the bottom of my little heart, for the 90+ reviews. Seriously, I get back on this account after months of inactivity, and BAM. **


	20. Chapter 19 - For Real This Time

**OKAY HERE'S THE DEAL.**

**It's been an achingly long time since I've posted a chapter to this story, and after my triumphant return, too.**

**The reason for that is not that complicated; I left the country for a while, and I was mentally ill. **

**I was in the middle of a couple of conversations with some of you when I vanished, and you have every right to resent me for disappearing like I did. I don't blame you if you don't want to talk with me anymore, but on the off chance you still remember me, I will do my absolute best to keep it together. **

**If you still want to read this story, despite the fact that it is very silly, I'm going to continue writing it. I can't guarantee an update schedule, because the last time I did that, I left for about a year, but I decided that Persona is something dear to me, that helped me through some bad spots, and damn it I like Kasumi. **

**Again, I'm so sorry for my disappearance.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

**August 6****th**

You'd think there would be more to do on the day of a Full Moon Shadow Smack down, like, I don't know . . . training, or going over battle strategies.

And yet, what did I spend the day doing? Playing some crappy MMORPG and sleeping. It was a surprisingly boring day.

When the Dark Hour finally rolled around, I made my way up to the fourth floor with the other juniors. Everyone clustered around the coffee table, with Ikutsuki at the head, and I noted with a smile that the group seemed almost like a family gathered for Christmas dinner.

. . . Then I remembered that we were here to slay a giant monster, and my smile quickly disappeared.

"Well, it's a full moon once again." Ikutsuki, ever the 'no nonsense' type (what a bold-faced lie), started the meeting.

"Any luck, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru addressed Fuuka, who summoned her Persona and began scanning the city. While she searched for the Shadow, I drummed my fingers against my knee and let my mind wander.

What kind of Shadow would appear? Would there be more than one? More importantly, who would be chosen for the elimination team? Because, not gonna lie, the idea of being left behind sounded seriously boring. Thoughts of the Inaba case tried to weasel their way into my brain, but I stubbornly pushed them away. As important as that was to me, I had to focus on the task at hand.

"Yes, I've located it . . . and this time, it's not just an ordinary one." It didn't take Fuuka long to pinpoint our target. When she spoke up, I snapped myself back into attention.

Akihiko straightened himself as well, cracking his knuckles. "Now that's more like it."

"It's by the deserted houses in the northern part of Iwatodai. But, there is one thing that's strange . . . It seems like it's underground . . . almost ten meters."

I frowned at that. An underground Shadow? That could be tricky. "Maybe it's in a basement?"

Our resident robot spoke up in response. "According to my records, there is no structure in the area that matches those criteria. However, in the past there was an underground facility that was used by the military."

Yukari arched an eyebrow. "The military? Is that true?"

No, Yukari. The robot is lying to you. Why wouldn't it be true?

Ikutsuki spoke before I could, however, so my sarcastic remark was lost. "Well, the architectural and geographic data for the area were uploaded into her memory bank. Then again, the information hasn't been updated in a decade."

"That is correct," Aigis confirmed.

It was decided that we would wait until we arrived to decide who would be deployed, as we weren't entirely sure what the situation was.

It was a short, silent trip to the Shadow's location. Even I could read the mood well enough to know that I needed to behave seriously.

We reached a rather large building in a matter of minutes, and then it was only a matter of finding a way underground. Aigis was the one that located the trapdoor, and we climbed down the ladder one at a time. We found ourselves in a huge, dusty, old cavern, giant metal doors directly in front of us. They were, thankfully, open.

"The target should be around here . . ." Fuuka spoke as we walked through the doors, the ground beneath our feet changing from dirt to metal. I couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at the environment around us.

"_Well done . . ."_

Suddenly, a voice echoed behind us. I spun on my heel, practically jumping out of my skin at the sound. There, just behind the entrance, were two strange-looking men. One had blue hair similar to Minato's, but styled differently. He wore a green jacket, carried a briefcase, wore glasses, and looked like a _huge_ nerd. The other man, the one that spoke, wore only pale jeans almost the same color as his icy skin. His arms were tattooed, and his hair silvery and long. He had piercing, frightening yellow eyes.

'_He is anything _but_ a nerd. Actually, he reminds me of an albino Jesus.' _I nodded slightly. Yes, Albino Jesus seemed like an appropriate name for the mystery man.

"This is the first time we've met in person." Albino Jesus continued to speak while we all stared at them. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Minato clench his fists.

"Who are these guys?! Lucia didn't sense a thing 'til now!" Fuuka gasped quietly, taking a step backwards.

"My name is Takaya. This is Jin." I personally prefer Albino Jesus and Nerd Guy, but whatever. "We are known to some as Strega. We've been keeping an eye on you . . . from what we hear, you've undertaken a 'righteous' battle to save the world. But we've come here tonight to put an end to that dream."

My blood ran cold. I knew when I joined SEES that I would be putting my life in danger, but for some reason, being threatened by these creepy guys calling themselves Strega made me realize how dangerous our job really was. I half expected him to pull a gun on us and shoot us down then and there.

"You've gained new allies, yet this land still crawls with sin. Tartarus is towering as beautifully as always . . ."  
>Junpei was the first to speak up, in his brash way. "But why the hell would you wanna stop us?!"<p>

"Simple . . ." The nerd called Jin answered, "If the Shadows and the Dark Hour disappear, then so will our power. And we can't let that happen, now can we?"

"Power . . .?" Mitsuru spoke softy. "Don't tell me you're Persona-users as well!"

"Why don't you use that pretty little head of yours for a change? Only a select few wield the power of a Persona . . ." The albino's words were cold.

I didn't want to agree with to agree with the enemy, but they must've had the Potential, since they were standing in front of us during the Dark Hour. Mitsuru should've known that. I shook my head slightly, clearing out those thoughts as Takaya continued to speak.

"And the Dark Hour is a frontier that is ours alone to explore . . . just like the Tower of Demise . . ."

Next to protest was Yukari, who sounded very angry. "_That's_ your reason?! Are you crazy?! There's no telling what will happen if we don't do something about the Shadows!"

"What difference does it make . . .? There will always be disasters, whether they are caused by Shadows or arise from human folly. No one can predict the future, anyway. But that is all beside the point . . . Surely you will acknowledge the sense of significance the Dark Hour has given you."

"You think I _like_ this!?" Yukari practically screeched.

"Is it not so? How about the rest of you . . .? Do you also wish to return to your pathetic, ordinary lives?"

Takaya cast his frightening gaze over all of us, and when he glanced at me, I narrowed my eyes. He wasn't wrong when he mentioned a sense of significance. For the past three years, I had been living a boring, empty life where nothing I did affected anyone. But when I joined SEES, I was given a way to do something that mattered with my life.

"But . . ." I started slowly, trying to work through my thoughts. "It's not about what we want, or how we feel . . . It's about doing what's right!"

At that, Jin turned to look at me. "You've each got your own reason for fighting. 'Justice' is only an excuse. And that makes you all hypocrites! So I say, to hell with you!"

I tensed at that, afraid of what was about to happen and desperately trying not to think about what he just said. The two men turned around to stalk off, but before they left . . .

"_Have fun in there."_

The metal doors, our only way out, slammed shut and locked. We were trapped.

With a shout, Akihiko ran forward, slamming his fists against the metal. "Dammit!"

Surprisingly, it was the Robot Girl that calmed everyone down. "We will be alright. Rather than wasting our energy, I suggest we deal with the Shadow first."

Everyone nodded in agreement. I gripped my sword tightly, ready for whatever was going to come.

Fuuka told us that the Shadow had started moving, and that it was time to get going. Minato chose Akihiko, Aigis, and myself (thank god!) for the party, and we headed down into the bunker. Before we left, Fuuka gave us one last word of warning.

"There's something different about this Shadow compared to the others we've fought. Please be careful."

The metal floor of the bunker again changed as we entered a long, dark tunnel. We kept moving in relative silence for what seemed like forever, going down deeper and deeper into the earth. Every now and again, we'd stumble across skeletons of long-dead soldiers. I tried not to look at them, or think about them for too long.

There was only one path down the tunnels, but even if we were to get lost, we were able to follow strangely fresh tire tread marks to our destination.

At the end of the tunnel, our enemy waited.

I'm no stranger to weird-looking Shadows, but this one was definitely _something_. It didn't even look like a Shadow, really. It just looked like a tank. Which explained the tread marks, I guess. Fuuka told us that the Shadow was using the tank as armor, and then the fight began.

"It's Arcana is Justice . . . Wait, it's Chariot? What the – why am I sensing two entities? It doesn't make sense!"

"Well _that _sounds promising, doesn't it?" I took my battle stance as everyone began to attack the enemy.

Minato, the Jack-of-All-Trades, fell into a support role, keeping everyone else alive and healthy while we threw everything we had at it.

"Hestia!" I hit the target with a blast of fire, jumping back to avoid its counterattack. Aigis used her Persona's _Kill Rush_ skill repeatedly, injuring herself and the Shadow, while Akihiko did what he did best. And by that, I mean he punched the tank. A lot. We were doing fine for a while, holding it off with relative ease, until it decided to pull some shenanigans on us. The turret of the tank separated from the main body, and just like that, I realized the obvious.

"The turret and the vehicle are different types: one's Chariot and the other's Justice."

"Great! _Two_ Shadows! Perfect!"

It was decided that Minato and myself would focus our attacks on the Justice turret, while Akihiko and Aigis continued to attack the vehicle. The strategy seemed to work very well, and we were able to dispatch the Justice in a matter of moments. Our victory was short-lived, however, when Chariot revived its companion.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me! That's not fair! Oh wise leader, a suggestion!"

Minato glanced at me briefly. "We're gonna have to take them out at the same time, and the turret isn't nearly as sturdy as that one. Let me fight that, and you three concentrate fire on the main body."

He nodded, approving my plan. Wait. He actually approved my plan. How 'bout that?

I tried to draw the Justice's attention away from the others, while they cornered the Chariot. This plan seemed to work better for a while, until the turret attacked using _Myriad Arrow_ to hit all of us at the same time (Which I still stand by is cheating). I was nearly knocked to the ground by the force of the blow. I managed to remain standing, but my vision swam and my body ached.

"Kasumi-chan is in danger!"

Suddenly, a warm light covered my body – a _Dia_ spell. Bless you, Mina-kun.

"It was a good plan, but it isn't working. You can't go off by yourself." He stood beside me, sword raised as he stared down the enemies.

"If they'd unite again, we could kill them both while they're connected."

"Or we can just hit them both at the same time. Can you use _maragion?"_

"Pfft. Can I?"

" . . . Can you?"

"Of course I can!" I straightened up proudly.

He rolled his eyes. "Then use it a lot. Akihiko!"

The senior turned to face us. "Yeah?"

"Hit them both at the same time." He nodded, and switched from punching to using his Persona.

"Aigis!"

" . . ."

"Keep doing what you're doing."

"Understood."

And with that, we redoubled our efforts, hitting both of them as hard and as fast as we could, desperate to take them out at the same time. With our combined skills, we were able to defeat our enemies. After what seemed like ages, the tank and turret fell to the ground, empty vessels once again.

* * *

><p><strong>August 8<strong>**th**

Waiting in a dark, creepy military bunker to be rescued by Kirijo Group men is not the best way to spend your night, and believe me, it is murder on the back. I stretched and rolled over on my bed. I stayed in bed all day yesterday, doing literally nothing but mope and complain that my shoulders were killing me, and even then I was still tired as the sun rose this morning…

I was intent on spending today the exact same way, and yet . . .

"Shirogane, it's me." Mitsuru Kirijo, killjoy of the century, knocked on my door.

"Yeeees?" I had no intention of getting up.

"I'm sorry to bother you while you're resting, but can I have a minute? I need to tell something to everyone, but I think it would be best if you could see it for yourself. Come to the meeting room tonight, okay? I'll see you then." If she had any objections to my disrespectful attitude, she didn't show it, leaving as quickly as she arrived.

"Great. That sounded mildly serious . . . I'm totally gonna go back to sleep."

And that is the story of how I literally slept all day until I had to drag myself to the command room that evening.

"Does this mean we have a new mission?" Aigis asked us when we were all assembled.

"I dunno. But the alarm's not ringin'…" Junpei trailed off as he noticed the thing our Senpai were standing around.

"Koromaru?!" I was excited and _very_ confused at the same time. I admittedly hadn't thought much about the poor dog's condition after we rescued him, but now that he was here, I breathed out a sigh of relief.

. . . And then I noticed his arm.

"Um. What's with the new collar? And why _is the dog wearing a SEES armband?_"

Mitsuru, always to the point, explained. "That collar is designed to help control his Persona. In other words, it's an Evoker for dogs."

. . . An Evoker for dogs. Just gonna let that one sink in for a minute.

"Wait, does that mean he'll be going into battle?" Yukari asked what we were all thinking.

"It was a surprise for me as well. But according to the tests, it's quite possible. In fact, it was the Chairman's suggestion. ...We'll be looking after him here in the dorm."

"Is that okay with you, Koro-chan?" Fuuka crouched to talk to the dog, who barked once in answer.

"He said, 'I'll return the favor.'"

Thank you, Aigis, for translating dog-speak.

I was still trying to process the fact that we were letting a dog into SEES, but then I realized that it would be really awesome to have Koromaru around the dorm.

"Oh! Oh! This is gonna be great, Koromaru! We can go on walks, and hang out together! I'm so excited!"

Junpei laughed along with me, "The more the merrier, right? I'll take him for a walk! It's summer break, after all!"

"Yes, it is." Mitsuru's voice held something in it that made me immediately stop cheering. "Enjoy your vacation while you can; summer classes start next week. I'll see to it that you graduate."

Yep. There it is. I immediately deflated, shoulders sagged in defeat.

"H-hey . . . Good one, Senpai. You almost had me there."

"Oh, it's no joke. We'll be taking intensive courses. I've already applied for all of us. I know how difficult it's been balancing school and our late night excursions...you haven't had much time to study. I apologize for that. That's why the Chairman agrees that this is a good idea. ...I thought I told Takeba and Yamagishi."

"Are you serious?! This is the first I've heard of it!"

"Wait! But Mitsuru-senpai!" I spoke up when I realized there would be a conflict in scheduling. "I'm supposed to be leaving in a couple of days to visit relatives in Inaba! I can't just go to summer school!"

"I'm sorry, Shirogane, but I made these arrangements well in advance. Is there any way you could reschedule your trip? You have the rest of summer break, after all."

"But I've already had to reschedule! Oh . . . damn it all."

* * *

><p>"The sixteenth? Why the delay?" Naoto held the phone loosely while she listened to her sister prattle on.<p>

_"I'm really, really sorry, Naoto! Mitsuru sprung this whole 'summer school' thing on us last minute, and I know I already pushed back the date, but she's adamant that we go!"_

"Hey, hey. Slow down, Kasumi. Really, it's quite all right. I'm afraid with the suspect apprehended, nothing at all relevant to the case has come up. You can take your time getting here. Besides, summer school might be good for you."

_"Hey! I resent that!"_

Naoto laughed lightly at her sister, before politely ending the call. It was unfortunate that Kasumi had to delay her trip, and not because of any pressing murder case. Truth be told, the detective just needed a break, and the company of another person that _wasn't_ her grandfather or the police force.

Naoto missed her sister.

* * *

><p><strong>August 16<strong>**th**

I stared at the blue haired boy that sat across from me in the train car as I wondered for the seventeenth time that day _how_ I got myself into this.

Summer school had dragged on for what felt like ages, but that was over and done with. _Finally_. Earlier this morning, Minato and I loaded up our luggage onto the passenger train headed for Yasoinaba station, and we were off. My companion refused to explain to me _why_ he wanted to go with me so badly, despite my constant badgering. To be totally honest, I thought I was an annoyance more than anything. And suddenly he wants to go on a trip with me?

Boys are weird.

"Hey, sorry you had to miss the summer festival. I'm sure you had to leave a trail of broken-hearted women behind you."

Minato glanced at me briefly. "You're still on that player thing?"

"Ehehehe . . . yep."

'_This is gonna be a long ride.'_

* * *

><p>Minato wasn't necessarily 'anti-social.' He was just better at silence than constant chatter. That being said, he really didn't mean to fall asleep, leaving Kasumi slightly offended at the unintentionally rude gesture as he drifted into dreamland.<p>

He also didn't expect to wake up in the Velvet Room.

His feet made no noise as he walked towards his familiar chair in front of the long-nosed man. If Igor had summoned him in his dreams, it wasn't without reason, and it wasn't for idle chitchat. As he moved to sit down, his vision flashed white.

"Agh . . ."

For a fraction of a second, the Velvet Room seemed much, much smaller, and he could've sworn there was someone else – someone that wasn't Elizabeth – sitting in the chair. Gray hair and gray eyes, a serious expression . . . The boy vanished in an instant, and the Room was an elevator once more.

"Ah, my apologies, my young friend. It's not every day we host more than one guest."

"More than one?" Minato slid into his seat as Igor spoke.

"Yes. It seems your destiny is even more complicated than even I originally predicted. Where you are going, you will meet another, and you will find yourself faced with another challenge. One that is not your own. It would not be shameful to turn your eyes from it and return to where you belong."

" . . . "

"This happened because of the one who is not supposed to exist. However, your fate is still your own. If you choose to continue down this path, keep your contract in mind as you do so."

He only nodded at the mysterious man. He had other questions to ask – who was the one that shouldn't exist, for starters – but he was jerked awake before he could.

"Minato? Hey! Mina-kun. We're here."

Kasumi stood in front of him, eyes bright. Outside the window, Inaba waited.

* * *

><p>After waking up Minato (he has some nerve, falling asleep on me like that), we gathered our things and left the station.<p>

"Thank god it isn't raining." It was a miracle. While it was still unnaturally foggy, the sky was free of rain clouds.

"Hey, sorry, but we have to walk to my grandfather's house. It isn't that far, but . . ."

"It's fine."

And on that note, we set off. I stared around my old town as we did so, pointing out this that and the other. If he was annoyed, he kept it to himself.

"There's Junes. It's new – wasn't here a few years ago. I've never actually been, but apparently it's got _everything_. Like, literally _everything!_ But it's also putting a lot of strain on the Shopping District, which is a shame, because there are so many cute stores there that might go out of business."

"Mm." The boy nodded slightly.

"Hey, are you all right? I mean, not that you're usually a social butterfly, but you seem really out of it. Need I remind you that you asked to come with me?"

Shaking his head, Minato only smiled slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Still sleepy."

"Ahh. Well, we're almost there! Oh, fair warning, my grandpa is a little . . . eugh. Also I _might _not have told anyone that you're coming with me."

"Wh- Kasumi."

"Whaaaat? Just slipped my mind, is all."

* * *

><p>"Grandpa? Naoto? We're here!" I poked my head through the door, looking around curiously. "Anyone home?"<p>

The sound of footsteps echoed from upstairs. "Kasumi?" After a moment, my sister appeared at the top of the stairs in the foyer. "Exactly what do you mean by 'we're' here?"

I stepped fully into the room, gesturing for Minato to join me. "Nao! It's great to see ya! This is my friend, Minato. I kind of sort of told him about the case."

"You did wha-"

"He said he wanted to help if he could. Sorry for bringing him over uninvited, but…" I shrugged.

The irritatingly charismatic boy spoke up, bowing politely. "It's nice to meet you."

Sighing, Naoto returned the greeting. "Likewise. Well, you came all this way, and I'm not about to send you back. Besides, I didn't think my sister was capable of making friends. I hope she isn't driving you too crazy."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

* * *

><p>Minato, Naoto, and myself gathered in the library. Naoto sat in an armchair, Minato took the couch, and I sprawled on the ground in the middle of the floor between them, my arms behind my head.<p>

"So! How's the case going?"

"I'm sorry to drag you out here and have so little news, but . . . Unfortunately, the interrogation is not going smoothly. The police can't get a straight answer out of the suspect, and then there's the evidence . . . "

"Evidence?" Minato seemed a bit confused.

"Oh right! I didn't tell you!" As quickly as I could, I caught Minato up to speed with every detail I could think of about the case. When I was done, he nodded, seemingly deep in thought, and I gestured for Naoto to continue.

"Well, they were able to definitely link Mitsuo Kubo to the murder of Kinshiro Morooka. However . . . There is no way to connect him to Saki Konishi or Mayumi Yamano. Simply put, it's obvious he is the murderer of one, but not all three victims."

"Maybe there's another?" Surprisingly, Mina-kun had the next word.

"It's a possibility I had considered, yes. But if that is the case, there is still a murderer on the loose. And the police are not searching for them."

I frowned, something just now occurring to me. "Hey, I have a question, Nao. With the case solved, in the eyes of the police, at least . . . Where does that leave you? You're only staying in Inaba because of police work, right?"  
>"That's right." My sister sighed. "But because I'm not satisfied with this resolution, I've decided to stay in Inaba. Grandpa agreed, on the condition that I enroll as a student here."<p>

"Ooh, really? That's surprising. My little sister's gonna be a student again, just like me!"

"Oh, quiet, you."

* * *

><p><strong>August 17<strong>**th**

I never would have guessed it. The three of us make an unlikely group, but Minato and Naoto seemed to get along very well. And since we weren't spending every waking moment pouring over details of the case, my sister and myself were able to talk like friends for once. We were . . . having fun.

Weird.

On a whim, we decided to go to Junes. Minato claimed he could cook dinner if we went out and bought the ingredients.

However . . . things haven't exactly gone as planned.

"Yeah, no, I have no clue where we are."

"Seriously, Kasumi?"

"Hey, I'm sorry! I swear, this place is built like a maze! It's all part of their plan to trap us and make us buy more things!"

"Kasumi. How do you get lost in a supermarket?"

"I don't need your sass, Naoto!"

" . . . "

"Is she like this all the time, Minato-kun?"

"Unfortunately, yes!"

"Okay, I don't need my sister and my good friend gossiping behind my back!"

"It's not behind your back if you can hear us."

I groaned, slamming my forehead into the handle of our shopping cart. "Ow…" Straightening up slightly, I frowned. "Why don't we just ask for directions?"

"We shouldn't need to ask for directions in a store."

"Well, if you're so confident, then _you_ lead us to the checkout counter."

My sister was silent for a few moments, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I wasn't paying the _closest_ attention when we entered this section."

I laughed. Although we were still lost, I had won the argument, and that was a victory for me. "Then we'll ask for directions! Excuse me, sir!"

At the time, I didn't realize that I was asking for help from the infamous Souji Seta, the mysterious transfer student that might or might not be a murderer. Honestly, I'd almost forgotten about his involvement in the case.

"How can I help you?" Credit where it's due, Souji didn't miss a beat, completely neutral when he saw an Ace Detective and her two loser friends _legitimately_ lost inside Junes.

"Yeah, hi. How in the hell do you get out of this god-forsaken store?"

"The checkout area is that way, take a left." The silver-haired boy pointed us in the right direction, and after a polite word of recognition to Naoto, we were finally able to escape the evil clutches of the Corporate Empire.

"Well _that _was unexpected." I sighed, shifting a few of our groceries in my arms. We divided the load between the three of us.

Naoto shrugged. "In a town this small, is it really so surprising to find a high school student working a part-time job?"

"I guess not, but what are the odds it'd be him?"

"Who was he?" Minato interrupted, quite uncharacteristically. "That boy."

"Mina-kun? Um. Souji Seta might be involved in the murder case, but we can't say anything for sure. Why?"

Our friend's usually blank face was clouded by some undefined emotion. "It's nothing."

* * *

><p><strong>August 19<strong>**th**

Souji should've just put it out of his head. It wasn't that big of a deal.

And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew that blue-haired boy that was with Naoto Shirogane the other day.

But why? And why did it feel important?

* * *

><p>Minato was having trouble sleeping. He couldn't stop thinking about the boy Souji Seta. He was convinced it was the same boy from the Velvet Room. The one that was sitting across from Igor, exactly like he usually does.<p>

He shook his head. He didn't want to worry about that now. To make up for making him miss the Summer Festival in Port Island, Kasumi was taking them to the Inaba festival tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>August 20<strong>**th**

I'd never been to a festival in Inaba, but somehow, I expected there to be more people. At least a few more. However, the shrine was sparsely populated, although there were plenty of stalls set up.

"I suppose with all the talk of murder, not as many people wanted to venture out." Naoto answered my unspoken question. "You can hardly blame them."

"Yeah, but . . . Ah, well. That means there's more food for us!"

"Hah, I suppose. Don't give yourself a stomach ache, Kasumi."

Minato hadn't said much the entire time, opting instead to look around at the other festival-goers. "Hey."

"Yeah, what is it?" I turned to see what he was staring at, and blinked in surprise. "Hey, it's the mysterious group of crime fighting slash murdering teenagers."

Sure enough, Souji Seta and his group of friends were standing around talking. Actually, from the looks of it, they were arguing about something. Before long, the girls of the group split off, along with one of the boys, leaving the other three standing around awkwardly.

"Wanna go over and say hi?" I offered. "Making new friends is important. Besides, they're gonna be your new classmates, right, Nao?"

"Perhaps we shouldn't. I wouldn't want to interrupt their good time."

"Ah, well. Hey, Mina-kun?" The guy was still staring at the group. More accurately, he was staring at Souji. "Okay, what's the deal? Does Mina-kun have a crush?"

"It's not like that."

"Oh, whatever." I didn't want to waste my time at the festival staring at some group of high school kids. "Hey! Let's go try and catch goldfish! I love that game!"

"Kasumi, if you catch one, you have to take care of it."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

* * *

><p><strong>August 21<strong>**st**

Minato and I stood outside the Shirogane manor, our bags packed.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Minato-kun. And it's always good to see you, Kasumi." Naoto wasn't one for tearful farewells, so our goodbyes were quick.

"You, too."

"You should come to Port Island next time, Nao! You'd love it!" I waved as we headed towards the train station.

"We'll see, Kas."

Once the train had taken off, and Inaba was fading in the distance, I sighed and stretched. "Well! That was a lot of fun. Actually, I'm shocked. It wasn't the stressful event I thought it would be."

"What were you expecting?"

"Drama and intrigue, mostly. Last time I visited, we thought someone might be kidnapped . . . It was crazy. But yeah. This time, it was nice. I haven't spent quality time with Nao – like, actual quality sister time – in ages. More than three years, actually."

"Why's that?" Minato seemed mildly interested, shifting slightly in his seat.

"Hah . . . Well . . . The family business, mostly. And my grandfather being disappointed in me and showering Naoto with praise and affection. It's why I ran away from home and started living on my own in Port Island." I realized I was progressing further and further from my usual stupid self, and into a weirdly serious Kasumi, a transformation I was not comfortable with at all. "ANYWAY. So, what did you think of Inaba?"

* * *

><p>Minato stared at the sleeping girl across from him. They weren't that far from their destination, but it was pretty late. He didn't blame Kasumi for passing out. Kasumi's Social Link – the Fortune Arcana – had grown significantly during this trip, which was one of the reasons he'd decided to go with her. He'd had a good time with the Shirogane sisters, and Inaba was an interesting town. However, he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Igor's words still bothered him.<p>

"_'This happened because of the one who is not supposed to exist.'"_

Could that mean Kasumi? She was the reason he went to that town, after all. The one who shouldn't exist? But why? And that boy, Souji Seta? Was he the "other one" he was supposed to meet? And the other challenge? There was a lot going on, and the boy wasn't sure what to make of any of it. He had enough to worry about when it came to the Twelve Full Moon Shadows.

* * *

><p>"<em>I'm here, too! I exist, too, damn it!"<br>_

_"You know what? FINE. You can stay here and play detective with Gramps all you want. I'm DONE WITH IT."_

"_No, I'm leaving. I'd rather live on my own than live with people who can't even be bothered to remember their own family's birthday!" _

I stretched as the train pulled into Port Island station. I hated dreaming about that fight three years ago. It was one big, uncomfortable, miserable memory I'd rather forget. And yet, I almost spilled all of that to Minato. Honestly, there was something about that kid that made you feel like you could spill all your deep, dark secrets to him. It was annoying as hell.

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~<strong>

**So yeah. I'm back. Hopefully for real this time.**

**Again, I'm so so so so sorry for vanishing and I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. **

**Oh, and if Kasumi doesn't seem as … out there as before, this story and character are two years old. When I was a sophomore, I was **_**really**_** shy, so I wrote a really crazy OC. It's a bit harder for me to get into the same mindset, but I'll try to keep up with Kas's antics as best I can. **

**Sorry if this chapter isn't what you were hoping for after such a long absence, too. Eugh. My life is a goddamn mess. **

**(bonus points to whoever spots the RWBY reference) **


	21. Chapter 20 - Normal Days?

**~~ Author's Note ~~  
>I would rewrite the beginning of this story if I had the energy. Seriously, new readers should just skip to Chapter 19 and save themselves the pain. <strong>

**Also I discovered last chapter that I put an exclamation point in one of Minato's lines of dialogue. It's kinda bothering me, but not enough to go fix it. Life is hard.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

**August 23****rd**

I carefully pinned my damp purple hair away from my face as I walked out of the bathroom, clad in the softest pair of pajamas I owned. Trying to make as little noise as possible, I tiptoed up the stairs and back to my dorm room. Once I safely shut the door behind me, I let out a huge yawn, collapsing onto my bed. We'd just gotten back from an excursion to Tartarus, and _boy_ was I exhausted. Not to mention in a bitter mood. I'd been knocked out by a particularly nasty _Garula_ spell, I could barely feel my feet, my head was pounding, and I was _jealous_ of a _dog_. Koromaru was a talented fighter. Not only that, but he used _Agi_ skills, too, which I kind of thought of as "my territory." Or at least, my way of contributing to the team.

"Come on, Kas. Koromaru isn't going to replace you. That's just silly…" I trailed off, unsure. "Hestia showed signs of developing _Zio_ skills earlier, but those never got very strong… So I don't have that advantage. And Koro can use _Mudo. _ That's ten kinds of unfair, seriously. Why does the dog get the instant death magic? So it's a fire and death dog verses a fire and physical Kasumi. Who would Minato pick for his team…?"

"Oh, what am I thinking?!" I sat up straight and covered my face with my hands. "I shouldn't care about being on the team, because SEES isn't about me!" I said as much during the full moon.

"_But… It's not about what we want or how we feel… It's about doing what's right."_

But then I remembered how Jin had responded. "_You each have your own reasons for fighting. 'Justice' is only an excuse."_

I was being hypocritical, wasn't I? Then, why was I fighting? So I could show off? I joined SEES because I didn't want Naoto, or anyone else, to succumb to Apathy Syndrome… But maybe I just wanted to prove that I wasn't useless.

"I shouldn't even be worrying about this! Strega just wanted to mess with us… And you know what? Screw them! I'm going to sleep, and when I wake up, I won't be stressing out over this any more!"

And with those words, I burrowed underneath my blankets and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>August 28<strong>**th**

The paper on my desk refused to yield to my menacing stare. I was working off the theory that if I tried my hardest to intimidate my summer homework, it would somehow magically do itself. My progress so far: a blank sheet of paper and a migraine. I didn't really give a damn about the Bolshevik Revolution, or whatever we were talking about in History, and my grades weren't _that_ important to me. However, Mitsuru-senpai expected me to pass my classes, so it had to be done.

Speaking of Mitsuru-senpai, I remembered that I was supposed to be meeting everyone in the meeting room tonight to discuss some _super secret business_. Those meetings usually depress me, but it was a welcome break from homework. As a means of procrastination, I started thinking of different scenarios that could possibly come to pass.

_Scenario #1_

_Getting fired._

"_Everyone, it has come to my attention," Mitsuru began speaking once everyone was settled, "that Kasumi Shirogane is really terrible at her job and will henceforth be fired from SEES. Of course, since we are a top secret organization, we will actually have to kill you to keep you quiet."  
>I stood up in protest, nearly knocking over the coffee table. "What?! Wouldn't my sudden death be a bit suspicious?!"<br>"I suppose you have a point… In that case, Akihiko will hit you really hard in the head." _

_Scenario #2_

_Getting promoted._

_O__nce everyone had gathered and settled down, Mitsuru rose to speak. "Everyone, it has come to my attention that Kasumi Shirogane is absolutely amazing at her job, and I've decided to promote her to position of Executive Leader, effective immediately."__  
>I rose to my feet as everyone around me applauded. "Thank you for this tremendous honor, Senpai!"<br>"Speech! Speech! Speech!" The crowd chanted._

_Scenario #3_

_Someone presents some seriously groundbreaking news_

"_Guys, I just wanted to let you know… I'm pregnant."_

I let my ideas progressively get more and more ridiculous as time passed, and by the time the sun set, I had successfully done no work, but come up with twenty possibilities for the meeting.

And let me tell you, none of those possibilities came remotely close to what actually happened.

* * *

><p>"Good, you're all here." The Chairman was the one to start the meeting, which was the first difference between reality and my fantasies. "Please come in."<p>

The next difference was that I didn't anticipate the grade school kid that entered when Ikutsuki called him.

"Sorry to interrupt." Ken Amada bowed politely to all of us. We all just gaped at him. Seriously, this kid was, like, ten. Surely he wasn't actually going to join us.

A distressed-looking Akihiko muttered, "You must be kidding."

"After running several tests, we've learned that he has more than adequate potential. I called this meeting so that I could introduce him, since he'll be joining our squad."

Wow. He wasn't kidding. I raised my hand like I was in school waiting patiently to be called on (Just for the record, I never raised my hand in school. That was for 'good' students).

"Yes, Kasumi?"

"Um. Not to be condescending… But you realize he's in elementary school, right? And we fight monsters…"

Ikutsuki dismissed me with a wave. "His ability is quite promising. With proper training, he'd be a big help."

Yukari spoke up as well. "Well, I'm sure he's more mature than you, Kasumi."

"Really? We're gonna do this now, Miss Prissy-Buns? I may be immature, but at least I'm not, like, five."

"It was a joke… besides, it's not up to us. It's his choice."

Akihiko nodded. "That's right. Is _he_ okay with joining?"

"Actually, I asked to join." Ken answered us with a frightening look of determination. "I believe I can be of some assistance... Now I finally know why I was given this power."

I glanced at Minato, who furrowed his brow slightly. He seemed pretty deep in thought, so I decided to leave him alone.

"So as you can see," Ikutsuki continued, "it was his own decision."

"Nice to meet you all. I'll try not to get in anyone's way."

Aigis was the first to respond, letting out a most-likely-pre-programmed "nice to meet you, too."

"Hey, don't worry, kid. We got your back. It may be hard at times, but stick with it!" Junpei gave the kid some motivational wisdom. Out of all of us, he seemed to be the only one totally comfortable with letting him in. Everyone else – excluding the robot and dog – showed varying degrees of discontent, ranging from Yukari's pursed lips to Akihiko's tightly clenched fists and barely visible shaking.

"Yes, got it!"

Our group was a goddamn mess.

* * *

><p><strong>August 31<strong>**st**

After the shocking revelation that Ken was joining SEES the other day, we all headed into Tartarus to see what he could do. His (absolutely terrifying) Persona, Nemesis could deal some pretty heavy damage, but was weak to Dark spells, which put him at a disadvantage in some fights. Also, can I just add that I'm horrified that he can use spears as well as he can, given that he's a twelve-year-old boy? It took me several weeks to get used to using a sword, and this child strolls on in with a weapon twice as tall as he is, and is instantly an expert? Sometimes, the universe just isn't fair.

Speaking of an unfair universe, can I just state for the record that I think summer homework is totally unfair as well? Especially when you have to do almost all of it on the last day of summer?

_'Am I being punished for something?'_

* * *

><p>The sun was setting on another peaceful day in Inaba. Souji stretched out on his couch, having just said goodbye to his friends. Everyone had come over to eat watermelon on the last day of summer break.<p>

It had been a good day.

So why was he so upset?

He couldn't stop thinking about Igor's words…

Last night, he had been summoned to the Velvet Room unexpectedly. Igor had apparently wanted to 'give him fair warning.'

_"'Your destiny is growing more complicated every day. You will soon be dragged into a challenge that is not your own. However, you are in no way bound to meet this challenge. It is not too late to prevent this.'"_

That's what he said… But Souji had no clue what any of that meant. The murder case had been solved. As far as he was concerned, there wouldn't be any more challenges in his future.

Did this all have something to do with that blue-haired boy from before?

Why would he even think that?

* * *

><p><strong>September 1<strong>**st**

Naoto stood outside the gates of Yasogami High School, waiting for the arrival of Souji Seta and his merry band of misfits. She wanted to at least properly greet them before she entered the school. Was she nervous? Not particularly. Being a detective, she'd been in worse situations than simply having to be a student. That didn't mean she was totally happy with the setup. School meant schoolwork, and while she wasn't as lazy as her sister, Naoto didn't like the idea of assignments on top of her detective work.

She only had to wait a little while for the mysterious group to show up. She moved towards them quickly. "Good morning."

Their shocked expressions made everything worth it; all of Kasumi's teasing, all of the homework, everything.

The brunette boy, Yosuke, spoke up first. "Y-You…!? You're that, uh… pint-size detective!"

…How dare he.

"I beg your pardon!? My name is Naoto. Please, don't give people bizarre nicknames you make up on the spot."

"Um… You know this is a high school, right?" The black haired girl asked in an almost condescending tone that set Naoto on edge.

"My cooperation with the police has come to an end. However, there are aspects of the case with which I remain unconvinced. There are some family-related issues as well," meaning Kasumi would complain if she left, "so I've decided to stay here for the present. From today forth, I'll be a first-year at your high school. And I felt that I should at least introduce myself to you all. I trust our relations will be cordial, Senpai."

With that, she turned on her heel and left. She couldn't help but be upset with the way they treated her. Not that she was expecting reverence and respect, but they were downright rude!

* * *

><p>I paused on my way to class from lunch.<p>

"Oh yeah! Naoto's starting school today, too! Wonder how that's going. I hope she's making friends. She calls me antisocial, but she's the one that needs help."

I shrugged. _'Eh. She'll be fine.'_

* * *

><p>When Kasumi said the ladies would 'be all over' Naoto, she just assumed her sister was teasing her. She hadn't realized she <em>literally meant<em> the girls at Yasogami would _actually_ be all over her.

"You dunno the area yet, right? C'mon, we'll show you around!" Two girls had pretty much cornered the detective, pressing her to go hang out with them.

"There's probably tons of places to hang out that only we'd know about."

Naoto sighed. "That won't be necessary." She knew the area well enough from growing up there, anyway. "I'm not interested in 'hanging out,' and neither am I interested in you two."

"Huh? Hey, what did you say?!"

"What's with that attitude? We're just trying to be friendly!"

The girls seemed rather offended by her remark. She realized that maybe Kasumi wasn't the only one lacking in social skills.

"Yo, Naoto-kun. How's it going?"

Before any of the underclassmen could say anything, Souji and his friends appeared down the hall. Yosuke had been the one to call out. The girls looked rather flustered at the appearance of their senpai.

"Hello," Souji dipped his head towards her.

"So we meet again. May I help you?"

The girl in the track jacket – Naoto couldn't recall her name – stepped forward. "Hey, Naoto-kun. If you're not doing anything after school, wanna come with us?"

Taken aback by the offer, the detective had to pause for a moment. "Come with… You mean me? …" They wanted to hang out with her? How peculiar. "…Perhaps another time. I have some things to mull over."

"Things to mull over?" The pop idol of the group parroted.

"I must go straight home today. I promised my Grampa so."

"Oh, well… That's that, then. Let's hang out some other time."

_'Well that certainly was a strange encounter,'_ Naoto thought as she left. She still couldn't figure out why they'd want her to come with them. She had a difficult time understanding people, after all.

* * *

><p><strong>September 2<strong>**nd**

"I cannot believe we're letting the robot go to school."

When I got home yesterday, I was greeted with Aigis in a school uniform. At first, I just assumed it was some kind of joke.

But no. We're actually letting her go to school with us. Because _that_ will end well.

She transferred into Minato's class, so I had to wait until lunch to hear about their exploits.

"She actually put 'humanoid tactical weapon' on her transfer papers! Oh, man, you shoulda seen the looks on these guy's faces!" Junpei laughed as he told me the story.

"Junpei! It's not funny!"

I smirked. "Well, it's not wrong."

"But we can't _tell_ people that, Kasumi!" Yukari snapped.

"Oh, come on. Did anyone think for a second that it was true?"

Minato answered for her. "No one."

"See! It was so ridiculous, they just disregarded it. …Which, now that I think about it, is an accurate way to sum up my entire life."

* * *

><p>My plan after school was to walk home with Minato and then call Naoto to question her about her first day. However, we ran into Akihiko at the gates.<p>

"Hey, there you are." He was talking to Minato, but I had no qualms butting into their conversation. "There's something I have to do, and I want you to come with me. …Uh, Kasumi?"

"Yes?" I blinked innocently at him with a smile.

"…You can come along, too, if you want."

"'Kay! …Where are we going? And why do you have a suitcase?"

"We're going to get someone… An old member."

Someone else was joining SEES? Already? Okay, then.

The three of us headed towards the Iwatodai Strip Mall – more specifically, Hagakure Ramen. When we got there, we had to wait outside for a bit, apparently waiting for someone to emerge.

It took a little while, but he eventually did exit the ramen shop. _He_ being a large, rather imposing young man in a red pea coat and beanie. I recognized him as the guy I saw Akihiko talking to all those months ago in that very restaurant.

"You're getting on my nerves!" He snapped. I flinched backwards automatically, although his harsh words were for Akihiko, not me.

"Sorry, but this time I'm not asking."

"What?"

Akihiko thrust the suitcase at him. "This belongs to you." The mysterious boy didn't take it, causing my senpai to sigh. "We have a new enemy. They're Persona-users, like us."

"Yeah, so what?"

"There's more. Ken Amada has joined our team."

That got a reaction out of him, interestingly enough. "What the hell are you talking about!?" He seemed seriously angry. At this point, I was practically hiding behind Minato. I regretted my decision to tag along immensely. If this frightening man was going to join SEES, I would actually have a heart attack.

"He has the Potential, and Ikutsuki-san okayed it. He's a Persona-user."

"You've gotta be kidding me… Let me ask you one thing. Was it his decision to join SEES?"

He nodded. "Yeah. He volunteered."

"I see…" There was a pause, then, "Then, count me in."

Well, that was a surprising turnaround. _Ken _was the deciding factor? Weird.

I was so absorbed in my own thoughts that I almost didn't notice the scary man approaching Minato, and by extension, me. When he spoke, I almost jumped out of my skin.

"So you're the one leading the operations now, huh? If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you fighting for?"

"To protect everyone." Minato didn't hesitate on his answer, which actually impressed me.

"Is that so? Well, you do your thing; I'll do mine. …And who're you?"

It took me a second to process that he was talking to me. "Huh?! O-oh. I-I-I'm Kasumi… I came with them… I don't contribute much to the team… N-Nice to meet you, sir."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "_Sir_? …Seriously, Aki, another girl?"

"What? She may not look it, but she's a pretty decent fighter."

Whatever they said after that, I didn't hear any of it. In fact, it was a miracle I didn't pass out.

* * *

><p><strong>September 3<strong>**rd**

I learned the big, scary guy's name. Shinjiro Aragaki.

When Minato was picking teams for our Tartarus expedition, for the first time, I found myself silently begging _not_ to be picked. Shinjiro's weapon of choice was a huge battle-axe. I know I like to get on people's nerves – it's practically my specialty – but when that person had an _axe…_ Yeah, I can do the smart thing in that situation.

My luck didn't hold, however, when it was decided that Akihiko, Shinjiro, and myself would accompany Mina-kun.

I watched in half awe, half horror as Shinjiro destroyed a Shadow in a single blow. We continued making our way up the Tower, the boys wreaking havoc on the Shadows. After another floor, and another battle where they did pretty much all the work, I decided to step up my game. Sure, I was terrified of the senior boy, but I was even more terrified of not pulling my weight and being a burden.

I rammed my sword into a creature's skull, pulling it out before slashing at its chest. I finished it off by slamming my hilt onto the side of its head. It crumpled before me.

On a roll, I whipped out my evoker. "Hestia!" The resulting blast of fire was the strongest I'd ever produced, knocking two of the remaining enemies to the ground. Unfortunately for me, the last one _reflected _Agi attacks. I narrowly avoided my own flames.

* * *

><p><strong>September 4<strong>**th**

Minato sat next to me on the couch as I called my sister. Everyone else was resting up for the upcoming battle, so we had the lounge to ourselves.

"_Hello?" _She finally picked up.

"Hey, Nao!"

"_Kasumi. I was wondering when you would contact me." _

I chuckled a bit. "Yeah, well. It's been busy. New dorm mates and all that. So, how was school?"

She let out an exhausted sigh. _"I must apologize_ _for mocking you about your social ineptitude. It seems I'm just as bad as you are." _

"Hah! Well, I guess that's what happens when you grow up in a library. Did you at least make some friends?"

"_I wouldn't call them friends, but that group of students have offered to, err, 'hang out' with me on a couple of occasions." _

Glancing at Mina-kun, I smirked. "Did you say yes?"

"_No." _

"Really, Nao? That's not how you win friends and influence people."

She sounded exasperated. _"I realize that, thank you. But I have other things on my mind that do not include making friends. Anyway, how have you been? You said you have new dorm mates?"  
><em>

I sobered at the thought of the frightening Shinjiro. "Yeah… He scares the shit outta me. I'm afraid he'll murder me with an axe."

_"Come now, Kasumi. That's ridiculous." _

I shook my head furiously. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Minato silently laughing at my plight. "No, you don't understand. That's _actually a thing that could happen."_

"_No one's going to kill you. How about we make a deal? If you try to befriend this new person, I will … hang out … with those kids here." _

"…Deal. But if I die, it's on your head."

Once I said goodbye and hung up, I turned towards my friend. He'd stopped laughing at me a minute ago, and actually wore a rather serious expression on his face. "What's up, dude?"

He shook his head. "Nothing… I just get the feeling Junpei's doing something incredibly stupid…"

* * *

><p><strong>September 5<strong>**th**

Once again, the Dark Hour rolled around on the night of the full moon. I knew the drill; we all met up in the Command Room and let Fuuka scan for the Shadow.

Well, almost all of us… For whatever reason, Junpei was nowhere to be seen. We'd decided to continue without him for the moment.

"Tonight marks the 6th full moon… Do you detect a Shadow?" Ikutsuki asked Fuuka.

"…Yes… It's near Paulownia Mall… I think…"

Mitsuru questioned her on her uncertainty.

"For some reason, I can't quite pinpoint its location… But I'm trying to narrow it down."

"Is that its power?" Akihiko asked.

"I don't know."

I jumped when Shinjiro spoke. "We have enough to go on…" Despite my promise to try and befriend the boy, I hadn't quite made a lot of progress – read "any at all."

"Did you find Iori?" Mitsuru spoke again with mild concern in her voice. Ken, who had gone to look for him, answered.

"I can't find him anywhere. His backpack isn't here, so I don't think he's been home yet."

"That idiot…!" Yukari sighed. "He knows tonight's the night!"

Fuuka offered to scan for him more carefully, but Ikutsuki brushed it off. "No, it's okay. You're all young; sometimes you just get in one of those moods. Anyway, we should focus on the task at hand."

I glanced around the room, curious to see if anyone else thought that was a bit weird. I ended up meeting Shinjiro's eyes. He wore an unreadable expression, but he didn't look content. I raised an eyebrow curiously (and bravely).

"We can't afford to waste any more time. Let's go." Mitsuru-senpai led everyone outside.

"Wait…" Shinjiro spoke softly, stopping Minato and myself. "Did he say anything to either of you?" I frowned and shook my head, while Minato answered with a quiet 'I don't think so.'

"Whatever…"

* * *

><p>The walk to Paulownia Mall took forever. And I do mean <em>forever.<em> By the time we arrived, my feet were killing me.

The place looked absolutely terrifying. Any kind of water turns to blood during the Dark Hour, which means the fountains there ran red. It was probably one of the creepiest places I'd ever been to – and I'd been to Tartarus.

"Detect anything?" Mitsuru turned to Fuuka, who had summoned her Persona.

"Only a faint presence. It seems so close, but… why…?!"

Our senpai was about to give the order to split up and search for it, but the young girl stopped her. "Wait! Please, give me a moment! This is my responsibility…!"

After saying that, she seemed to slip into a trance. "Tell me, Lucia, what is this thing that deceives me...? Hear the wind's answer in your ear...touch the earth's answer with your fingertips...taste the water's answer on your lips..." Her words were hushed, not to mention a little spooky.

"Hey, is she okay?" Akihiko wasn't the only one concerned. We all looked at her pale face in worry.

"Don't break her concentration."

After a moment, she spoke again. "…Right beneath our feet… Some kind of… webbing?"

"Perhaps it has something to do with the old power cables underground." Aigis supplied information. "They were just left there when the island's construction was completed. They run underground in many directions, like a web."

"And they're interfering with her ability?" Akihiko asked.

"…Thank you, Aigis, I understand now. Interference isn't the problem. …The cables themselves have been possessed by the Shadow!"

I blinked in shock. "What? But… How can we fight a web?"

"In your notes from previous battles, it said there was a Shadow that took control of the monorail." I wasn't aware of this. Must've been an earlier battle, before I joined. I never did bother to read up on those fights.

"Just like that one, this Shadow must have its own body. Let me see if I can find it…"

Akihiko, ever the pessimist, remarked negatively, "Even if we know where it is, we might not be able to get to it…"

"There may still be a way to reach the structure that the cables feed into." Aigis said quickly.

"We'll see…" was the only think Shinjiro added.

A couple of seconds later, Fuuka began gasping, as though she'd seriously over-exerted herself. "…I found it. It's close by… In this mall!"

"In here?!"

"It's inside a small chamber underground. It's rectangular, so I assume it's man-made."

"Wait a minute…" Our newest member frowned slightly. "I overheard the manager of Escapade saying that the power's been acting up lately."

Yukari remarked dryly, "That's no surprise."

"He said the control panel is located beneath the club."

"That's it!" Fuuka finally understood everything, apparently.

And since she did, it was time to fight.

Minato took Akihiko, Shinjiro, and myself, and we headed towards Club Escapade. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared out of my mind. It was less nerves about the fight, and more _"oh god, please don't let me embarrass myself in front of my senpai and Minato… Please don't let my attacks bounce off of it and onto me…"_

The Shadow we found when we entered was… interesting, to say the least. It looked like pretty much what you'd expect; a monster made up of wires. It had a wild mane of hair, a vaguely humanoid, hunched figure, and an aura of electricity. Fuuka warned us, rather unnecessarily, to avoid getting shocked.

The fight progressed smoothly at first. Akihiko and Minato had resistances to electricity, so they were set. Shinjiro could take a punch as well. Myself? Well, I wasn't _that_ weak.

After one round of attacks, it seemed to curl into itself. Fuuka told us that it was charging up energy, and to be careful. After a couple of rounds of it just emitting a blue light, it unleashed a huge blast of electrical energy. Shinjiro flinched a bit, and I stumbled backwards, but other than that, we plowed on. We figured out pretty quickly that the only thing it _could _do was charge up and explode. However, that one attack was pretty powerful, especially when Mind Charged.

Since Akihiko and Minato's Personas used electric skills, they couldn't really attack. They instead supported our newest member and myself while we doled out the damage (And took the damage. I found it seriously unfair that the two people not _doing_ the attacking were the ones not getting hurt).

It was a really easy fight, all in all. I was shocked, actually (no pun intended). We eventually brought it to the ground.

"Congratulations. I no longer sense its presence."

I pushed my hair out of my face. "Well _that_ was certainly a thing."

"Oh, and also...I think I've found Junpei. He's back at the dorm, but something seems strange. The Chairman's there too, so he should be okay, but let's hurry just in case."

With that vaguely ominous message from Fuuka, everyone headed back towards the dorm.

* * *

><p>We looked all through the dorm without finding a trace of Junpei.<p>

"Could he be on the roof?" I suggested. Having no better guesses, we all headed up there. We were shocked to find the door had somehow been sealed from the outside. It took all our manpower to get it open, and what we saw stunned all of us.

A young woman with long, bright red hair, wearing some kind of white Lolita dress, scoffed at us when we burst in. Behind her, chained up on the ground, was our lovable idiot friend. He wore a beaten and depressed expression that definitely looked out of place on his usually cheerful face.

"Tch. They're back already?!"

When the woman saw us, she drew what we realized was an Evoker and pointed it under her chin.

"She's a Persona-user?!"

"Medea, come…"

Before she could pull the trigger, however, Junpei managed to loosen his chains. He sprang forward and tackled her to the ground.

"Chidori, stop!"

The Evoker slid from her grasp.

"No! Give it back!"

It was then that Ikutsuki decided to appear. He seemed thoroughly confused. "Hm?! When did she…?!"

Akihiko picked up the girl's – Chidori's – Evoker before she could reach it. "Sorry, but we can't let you use this."

"Medea!" She sounded genuinely hurt, as though she wouldn't be able to stand separation from her Persona.

"I...I didn't sense her up until this very moment...this is my only power, and yet..." Fuuka seemed upset. I patted her shoulder lightly.

"Her Persona's power probably lets her hide herself."

"I didn't have the slightest clue she was here…" Ikutsuki muttered.

As we talked, Aigis forced the girl to her feet and restrained her hands. She kept her head down, not meeting anyone's gaze, even when Mitsuru tried to interrogate her.

It was eventually decided that we would let her rest, and try to get answers out of her later.

Junpei just muttered "Chidori…" quietly to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>September 6<strong>**th**

I was about to collapse from exhaustion. Our battle last night hadn't been that bad, and that wasn't what was so tiring. That whole episode with the Chidori girl kept me awake long after the Dark Hour ended. Seeing my friend so broken up really upset me, I guess.

Either way, our senpai were still at the hospital, interrogating said girl. Yukari and Junpei went along, too. Having so many people gone made for a peaceful dorm.

Or at least, it was peaceful until everyone got home. The first thing Mitsuru did was ask to speak to Minato and me privately.

"Arisato, Shirogane. Can I have a word with you, both?"

"Are we in trouble?" I asked the natural question.

"No… I need to ask you two a favor. Shirogane, I know you're not a member of the Student Council, but I need all of the help I can get."

I frowned at this. It sounded like she was going to give us a responsibility, and I didn't handle responsibility all that well.

"Another school is coming to visit ours as a part of their class trip. We were asked to put together a program for them. They are supposed to attend special classes as well. I fully intended to do it myself, but now with this Strega business…"

"I understand." Minato nodded.

"I appreciate the help. You can work alongside the others in the Student Council to get it done."

I let out a small whine. "Okay… Oh. What school is it, anyway?"

"It's from a small town in the country. Yasogami High."

* * *

><p><em>Next time on <em>The Link…

_The Gekkoukan Trip._

_Stuff actually happens_

_P4 becomes a lot more relevant_

_Finally_

_Yeahhh_

**~~Author's Note~~  
>The problem I have with writing this story is this.<br>I have Lets Plays of both games open in two different tabs. I go to read a bit of one, and then I decide to put on some music, because I'm already on the Internet anyway. And then I have to watch some new video from one of my Youtube subscriptions. And then I wanna check some stupid social networking site. And then it's been thirty minutes and I haven't gotten anything done. **

**Yeah.  
><strong>

**Oh, so fun fact. When I first came up with this silly idea, it was supposed to be a ShinjiroxKasumi story. That idea didn't last long. Shinji still remains my absolute favorite character in any Persona game, though (and Ken remains my least favorite). And I plan on having Kasumi's friendship with him grow, loosely (very, extremely, hella loosely) based on the FeMC's social link with him.**

**So yeah. Next chapter, we'll finally see the two games collide. Twenty chapters in... Sorry about that, guys.**


	22. Chapter 21 - A Pack of Imbeciles

**~~Author's Note~~  
><strong>

**The Gekkoukan Trip was one of my favorite parts of P4. So I'm **_**hella**__**excite.**_

**This is gonna be great.**

**I hope.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

**September 7****th**

When Mitsuru asked us to help plan for this "cultural exchange," or whatever, she failed to mention the ever-so-important detail that _the trip was in two days. _Or, speaking from the present, _tomorrow._

Which meant Minato and I were stuck in the Student Council room after school for hours as we struggled to put together the event. Somehow, with her Kirijo-charms, Mitsuru was able to get the school a day off, so figuring out where to hold lectures wasn't a problem. In fact, the only real problem we ran into was figuring out who would be there to represent Gekkoukan's student body.

The obvious choice was the vice president, but she had conveniently come down with the sniffles and wasn't in school. Our next option was stick-up-his-ass Hidetoshi, who said he was much too busy with another matter to bother. Chihiro, the treasurer, damn near fainted when we suggested she do it. Eventually, Minato volunteered to be the representative.

"Hahah! That's our Mina-kun, taking one for the team! …Why are you staring at me? …Wait… You don't expect _me_ to come with you…? Right?"

* * *

><p>That evening, I was supposed to initiate Operation: Befriend Shinjiro-senpai. It was a daunting task, but seeing as Naoto would be in town tomorrow, I wanted to prove to her that I <em>could<em> make friends. However…

"Minato, I can't do it. No way. Nope. He'll _hurt me._"

Minato gave me a look, as if to ask, "_Really? He'd hurt his teammate_?"

"Well… Maybe not physically… But emotional wounds can hurt just as badly!" I responded to his unspoken question.

"Don't be stupid."

"Don't call me stupid! Look, I'll go talk to him if you come with me! I know! I'll ask him if he wants to join the two of us for dinner. That'll work, and I won't have to be alone!"

"…"

The boy turned away from me, pointedly ignoring my request.

"Please, Mina-kun? _Please? For me?_" Quickly, I moved so that I was standing in his line of sight.

"…" He stared at me for a solid few seconds before sighing. "…Fine."

"Yes! Thank you so much, friend!" I gave the quiet boy a quick hug, and then dashed off to find Shinjiro.

* * *

><p>Minato watched the hyper girl run off with a slight smirk. He knew without needing to watch that all of her energy would immediately disappear when it came time to actually talk to Shinjiro, that she would probably deflate like a balloon. He also knew that she'd manage to do it, even if she stuttered like an idiot, and then she'd come racing back over to him with the senior in tow, acting like nothing had even happened. She'd say later that it hadn't been a big deal at all, etc. etc.<p>

Sure enough, Kasumi, with Shinjiro just behind her, approached him minutes after she'd left.

"Okay! Ready to go, Mina-kun?" Amused, Minato noted that the girl looked ready to pass out despite her energetic façade, while the boy wore a neutral, almost bored expression. He was surprised that he actually agreed to come.

"Sure."

The trio ended up at Wakatsu Restaurant, a sushi place located in Iwatodai Station. Minato ate there occasionally, but Kasumi practically didn't know it existed.

"Mina-kun claims this place makes you smarter, or something. I personally think that's total crap. How can food make you smarter, ya know?" She chatted idly as they slid into a booth, Minato and Kasumi on one side and Shinjiro on the other. Shinjiro let out an 'mm' as a response as he scanned the menu. "Um… Have you ever eaten here before? I haven't…"

He glanced up briefly. "I don't really go to places like this."

"I see…"

They lapsed into a semi-awkward silence. Well, it was awkward for Kasumi, Minato assumed by the way she was fidgeting. He really didn't care, and he could tell that Shinjiro was more interested in the menu than the lack of conversation.

When the waiter came by to take everyone's order, Kasumi looked ready to cry in relief. She spoke so quickly when ordering her dish that the waiter had to ask her to repeat herself. Once everyone had ordered, it was back to the "awkward" silence that was only awkward for one party.

"Do the others eat like this?" Minato had to stifle a smirk when she jumped so violently at Shinjiro's question that she hit the table with her knee.

"Wha—Um. What do you mean?"

"Those guys at the dorm. Are they eating right?"

* * *

><p>'<em>Alright, Kasumi. Play it cool. Answer the question without sounding stupid.' <em>I mentally cheered myself on as I thought up my answer.

"Um. I think so? I guess they eat like regular high schoolers…"

"Hmph."

'_A one-syllable response?! What did I say wrong?! What do I do?! Why is making friends so _hard?!' I wanted to punch something so badly. I had managed to befriend Minato all on my own _without _the anxiety attacks and terror, and I got along fine with the other SEES members. I had no problem pestering any of them until they had no choice but to accept my friendship, but Shinjiro was so damn scary!

"Do you want something?" Shinjiro spoke again and again I nearly had a heart attack.

"Pardon?"

Sighing, he gave me a look I was all too familiar with – an 'are you an idiot' look. "Why did you want to come here?"

"I – well…" I stuttered awkwardly, staring down at the linoleum tabletop. '_What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I just bother the shit out of him like I do Minato? …Right; he's twice my size and can kill me in one punch…' _ "Oh, I give up." With that, I stood up sharply while avoiding everyone's gaze. Minato shook his head slightly, but made no move to stop me when I practically fled the restaurant. He'd most likely make me pay him back for my meal later.

My footsteps echoed dully as I sprinted back to the dorm. "Damn it, Kasumi! What the hell was that?! If he didn't want to kill you before, he definitely does now…! Ugh! I don't get why I can't do this! And Nao's gonna think I'm a failure, too… So much for Operation Friendship."

* * *

><p>Minato watched the purple-haired girl disappear with a blank look. To be perfectly honest, she'd lasted longer than he expected. From what he could tell, Kasumi was the kind of person who cared if people liked her or not, whether or not she realized it herself. The other members of SEES were kind to her. She got in arguments with Yukari sometimes, but they didn't necessarily have a bad friendship – it was more akin to a rivalry. Junpei and Fuuka were always friendly with her as well.<p>

Shinjiro was different from the juniors, and even the other seniors. He came off as gruff and rude, with little interest in making friends. Kasumi's mind interpreted that kind of person as scary. She was so terrified that he wouldn't like her that she couldn't even try to reach out to him.

Or at least, that was Minato's take on the situation. He could be completely wrong.

"The hell was that about?" The senior in question glanced at the gray-eyed boy.

"Kasumi's shy."

"Huh?"

Shy wasn't quite the right word, but it came close. "She thinks you want to kill her."

With a shake of his head, Shinjiro turned to the plate of food that had just arrived. "Stupid girl."

* * *

><p><strong>September 8<strong>**th**

Souji admired Gekkoukan High School along with the rest of his class. The building was much larger than Yasogami and more impressive than even his old high school. It practically glowed in the sunlight.

"Whoa, what's up with this place…? This school's way too big!" Used to the tiny size of Inaba's school, even city-boy Yosuke was intimidated. "Wait… If we can't beat 'em on size, we're totally sunk…"

There were three people outside the main building waiting for them. The rather large balding man was obviously the school's principal. As soon as they arrived, he launched into a long, prattling, seemingly never-ending speech that most of the Inaba students were tuning out. In fact, the two Gekkoukan students seemed not to be listening, either.

Speaking of those students… Souji was rather surprised to see two familiar faces. He'd seen the bright-eyed girl with Naoto Shirogane before, along with the slouching, bored-looking boy next to her.

"Our school is closed today, but, ahh, because of this rare opportunity for cultural exchange… Some of our students will walk you through these halls. First, though, a student body representative will say a few words…" At that, the reserved boy stepped forward. He took his hands out of his pockets, straightened up, and moved his hair slightly so both his gray eyes were visible.

"Thank you, President. Welcome to Gekkoukan High. I'm Minato Arisato, a second year and Student Council member here. I'm honored to meet you all."

There were multiple gasps from the Yasogami students, mostly from the girls. Even the Gekkoukan girl looked shocked.

"Whoa, talk about a personality shift…!" Chie whispered.

"He's like a totally different person…" Yukiko, too, stared at the boy.

Yosuke groaned. "C'mon, you're being dramatic."

"This is the first time our school has invited another student body for a true cultural exchange." Carrying on with his speech, his piercing eyes scanned the crowd. "To learn about others is to learn about oneself, and is the first step on the road to self-betterment… This I believe. To ensure a worthwhile experience for each and every one of you, we will do our best to help you accomplish that. …So let us enjoy our time together. Thank you." He stepped back as soon as he finished, and immediately reverted to his former self. Any kind of expression disappeared and his shoulders slumped once more.

After a word from their teacher, all the students scurried off to the building.

Souji and his group lagged behind.

"Wow, Mina-kun! I'm impressed." The girl grinned at Minato. "Didn't know you were an orator. I'll add that to the list of things Minato is better than literally everyone at. …Why did you make me come?"

"Emotional support."

"That's a load of crap. You just wanted me to suffer…" She glared at the boy for a few seconds before glancing down at her hands – or rather, the papers she clutched in her hands. "Oh, damn it! Umm…" Whipping her head around frantically, her green gaze rested on Souji. She held a look of recognition for a brief minute before approaching them.

"Hey, you! I kind of maybe forgot to give everyone their schedules for today. Kindly hand them out, please." The stack of papers was thrust into his grip.

"No problem."

"Heh… Thanks! I'm not perfect like Arisato over there, so I can't be expected to remember things."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"Ya know, he didn't even write that speech! Our student council President did, because she couldn't make it. He just likes to prove that he's better than everyone. Anyway, you guys have lectures on the second floor. Have fun!"

With that, the Gekkoukan students disappeared into the school building. Souji stared after them for a moment. Rather, he stared at Minato Arisato. He couldn't shake the feeling he'd seen him before… Not in Inaba, where they met briefly at Junes, but somewhere else…

_A deep blue car… A limo, to be exact. For a split second, it seemed to expand, and he felt himself jerk upwards, as though in an elevator. He sensed a presence behind him. A kid no older than himself, with cold gray eyes…_

"So… When's our free period?" The disappointed voice of his partner jerked Souji back to reality.

Chie glanced down at the paper that had somehow disappeared from his hands and into hers. "Uhh… We don't get one. We have classes all through today. Tonight and tomorrow, we'll be staying at a hotel… We'll have free time tomorrow and the day after, until we leave at noon."

"You gotta be kidding me…"

"Come on, guys! Let's focus on our studies for now, so we can enjoy our free time later!" Yukiko, ever the optimist, led the group into the school.

* * *

><p>"<em>I saw you at the school today. I have to say, I was surprised."<em> Naoto's voice crackled through my phone's speaker. I was sprawled out on the couch in the lounge. With almost everyone still interrogating Chidori in the hospital, I had the dorm pretty much to myself.

"Yeah, well… Most all of our student council was busy, so Minato volunteered to be the representative. That asshole dragged me down with him."

"_Good for him."_

"No, not good for him! He was torturing me!"

_"Don't be so melodramatic, Kasumi." _ Sighing, my sister chastised me.

I just rolled my eyes. I was Kasumi Shirogane. 'Melodrama' was my middle name. "Anyway, I wanted to ask where you guys are staying. Minato and I can pick you up and give you a tour tomorrow."

"_That's very generous of you both. Thank you. And I believe we're staying at 'Sea Side City Hotel.'" _

At that, I frowned. "Sea Side City…? Why does that name sound familiar…?"

_"I can't imagine you have ever been here. It… doesn't seem your type... It's located on Shirakawa Boulevard." _

Oh.

Oh no.

Horrible memories flooded my mind. The Shadow… The bedroom… The Minato…

"We'll pick you up from the school."

_"Wh—"_

"We will pick you up from the school."

* * *

><p><strong>September 9<strong>**th**

"Really, Minato? _Really?_ When I asked what you usually did in the evenings, I expected… I expected… Anything but this!"

We had picked up my sister just as planned once school ended, and gave her an extensive walking tour of pretty much everything interesting in Port Island. Once night fell, I casually asked Minato what he usually did with his evenings. I thought he'd say he went to the coffee shop, or something else equally pretentious.

I _honestly_ didn't think he'd take us to a _nightclub_.

"I cannot believe you'd take my poor, young, impressionable little sister to some place as inappropriate as this! What do you even _do _here?"

"I befriended a monk." He said that so calmly, as if it answered all my questions.

"I'm a year younger than you, Kasumi, and I do believe you're the impressionable one between us. Besides, it appears some of my classmates have already beat us here." Gesturing to the dance floor, Naoto pointed out several high school students that apparently attended Yasogami High.

I blinked, shocked. "Since when are high schoolers allowed in a nightclub?!"

"I admit, I'm surprised as well. Perhaps we should consult the owner."

And that's just what we did, like good little detectives. The bartender explained to us that while they did allow minors to enter, they had a very strict alcohol policy and refused service to those not old enough to drink. Apparently, a drunk driving incident had claimed the life of a Gekkoukan teacher a few years back, and that ever since then, they'd been much stricter about their policy.

"Well, how 'bout that?" I remarked as we walked towards the front of the club. We were about to leave when we ran into a surprising group of individuals.

"Whoa…! So this is a club…!"

"Whoo! I'm totally ready for this!"

"There's nothing like this back home…"

Who else but Souji Seta and his friends? They were being led by the pop idol of the group and seemed just as shocked to see us as we were to see them.

"Is it permitted for high school students such as yourselves to be here?" Naoto asked, despite the fact that we _just_ confirmed that it was, in fact, permitted. She most likely wanted to poke fun at them. Either that, or she just couldn't come up with anything else to say. I considered chiming in, but Naoto did say she would try to socialize with these people, and I desperately wanted to see how she'd handle that.

"Wh-What!? Dude, look who's talking! You were here before we were!" The brunet dude answered her, "That's right… I guess if the first-years came on the trip, you'd be here too…"

"The clientele here seems above-board, so I don't expect there'll be any problems. Shall we go, Kasumi, Minato-san?" She began to push through the group. I glanced at Minato and shrugged. He, as expected, didn't reply.

"Huh? You're leaving?" Another brunette in a track jacket stopped her.

The black-haired girl – really, I need to keep their names memorized – chimed in, "Why don't you all join us?"

Naoto froze. She glanced at me with a baffled expression that silently begged for help. I just smirked. We had a deal, after all. "Are you… asking me to stay?"

"Uh huh. We didn't get to chat last time." The girl smiled brightly.

"Ah… I… I-It's just that I had some matters to attend to that day." My little sister seemed adorably uncomfortable. I felt a little bad, making her fend for herself… Then again, I was forced to try and befriend the scariest man I've ever met, so I felt she deserved to know my pain as well.

The idol – Risette? – approached her next. "Well, you're free now, right? I was really eager to talk to you. I'm curious how someone my age is working as a detective. I'd like to get to know your friends, too! I didn't know you knew people at Gekkoukan!"

"How about it?"

Again, she turned to me. I shrugged, the universal gesture for "don't ask me; this is your decision."

"Hmm… Very well, if you insist." I wasn't the only one to notice Naoto's pink cheeks. The brunet who may or may not be named Yosuke commented on it as well, which only deepened the pink-ish color.

"Oh, right!" Risette spoke up. "Minato-kun introduced himself at the school, but we never got your name…"

It took me a second to realize I was the one she was addressing. "Oh, I'm Kasumi Shirogane. Naoto's older sister." The group introduced themselves to me, giving me names I would most likely forget tomorrow but made an active attempt to remember.

"I can reserve us a room."

No one was expecting Minato to speak up, or say _anything _like that. Especially myself.

"Excuse me? Reserve?!"

"I know a guy."

* * *

><p>Minato smiled slightly at his friend's expression when they entered the upstairs room, the same room he met Mutatsu-san in occasionally. The Yasogami kids gathered around one table, taking up most of the room on the benches. While poor Naoto was stuck between two of the girls, Kasumi and Minato were left to pull up two more chairs. Minato sat down adjacent to Souji, and the two exchanged a brief look. Neither said anything, but both boys seemed to visibly tense. Kasumi glanced between the two curiously from her seat.<p>

"Hey, Mina-kun, how on _earth_ were you able to get us a VIP room?" Kasumi raised an eyebrow at him.

"I know a regular customer."

"I swear you're not human…"

"Are you sure this is all right?" Chie looked around nervously. "Isn't this expensive?"

Minato just shook his head. "It's on me." Training in Tartarus had its perks, and one of those was that he always had money on hand.

"Well, if you're sure… I'm gonna order some more."

The oddly dressed Teddie let out a loud cheer, sounding strangely inebriated. "Whoooo! I'm not gonna hold back, either!" He chugged down a brightly colored drink in seconds.

"Dude, you sound even weirder today…" Kanji remarked.

Teddie's reply was slurred, as though he had actually consumed an alcoholic beverage. "Awww, you're sho cold, Kanji… Hm… Kanji? Kanji, Kanji… I Kanj-ecture that shomething's up! Heeheehee, that's a great one!"

Kasumi glanced at Minato and made a vague 'what the hell' gesture with her arms. He shook his head. She was one to talk about strange behavior.

While Kasumi wasn't amused, Yukiko found the miserable 'Kanj-ecture' pun hilarious, and was practically keeled over laughing. The blond and the black-haired girl were falling into each other, unable to contain their giggles.

"Hey, wait a sec!" Holding up his glass to the light, Yosuke squinted at the drink. "Are these liquor?"

"Definitely not." Minato instantly answered. Club Escapade didn't serve alcohol to minors, as the bartender had made expressly clear earlier.

No one seemed to believe him, however, given the state of three of their friends. Naoto just shook her head in exasperation. She glared at her sister, obviously irritated. Minato couldn't blame her.

"King's Gaaaaaaaaaaaame!"

Everyone turned to stare at the red-faced idol. She shot out of her seat, nearly spilling her drink.

"Times like this, adults play the King's Game. It's the law… *hic * What's their problem…? They make me act like a ditz, call me Risette and stuff, and then say I'm a kid… *hic * It's so obvious… Those wrap parties get a lot funner after I go home! Morooons! I'm gonna play the King's Game now and ain't no one gonna stop me!" She began rambling about something or another, apparently dead-drunk.

Yosuke sighed. "Yet another side of Rise exposed… I wonder if she knows what she's saying…"

"Man, idols are so weird."

"Kasumiiiii-chan! Go prepareth the chopsticks!"

Green eyes widened in shock. "'Scuse me? I'm definitely not playing thi—"

"The King's word is law! Chop-chop!"

Kasumi turned to Minato for help, but he just shrugged. She'd have to deal with that one herself.

"U-um… What's this King's Game, again?" Chie asked tentatively. Her pseudo-inebriated friend answered.

"Okay… One chopstick makes you the king if you draw it, and the others have numbers on 'em. The King picks a number and says what that person has to do. But who has which number is a secret until the King gives the orders!"

"Senpai, you're such an adult! You tell 'em!"

"Why do you people know these things…?" Kasumi sighed. She had managed to find a cup and chopsticks, which she unceremoniously dropped onto the table. Minato had the suspicion she was regretting teasing her sister into socializing. "Someone else can write on them."

"C'mon, everyone draw!"

Minato reached for a chopstick along with everyone else…

_Number 3._

"Okay, sooo! Who's the King?"

"Teddie's is red! Red! Is Teddie the King?!"

Yosuke expressed what everyone was thinking at that point. "Ugh… We're already doomed from the get-go…."

"Pretty sure we were doomed before we started playing, dude." Kasumi remarked. "Have you met your friends?"

"I, the King, command thee to smooch the King without delay! Smoooooooch!"

"S-S-S-Smooch?!"

Teddie grasped his hands in front of him in mock prayer. "Please, God… Grand me a girl! Number 3!"

Minato glanced back down at his chopstick before sighing and standing up.

"I meant number 2…!"

For someone so unhappy about playing, Kasumi definitely seemed to suddenly be enjoying herself. She wheezed with laughter. "No take-backs! Holy crap, Mina-kun!"

The blue-haired boy was unfazed. A 'smooch' didn't have to be anything weird or intimate, and he definitely wasn't going to make a scene. He, after all, was still totally in control of his cognitive functions. And the sooner he obeyed the stupid rules, the sooner the game would be over. Without pause, Minato approached the flustered Teddie. He leaned forward and lightly pecked the top of his head. There were shocked gasps all around.

Kasumi wasn't done laughing. In fact, her chuckles only increased after the 'smooch.' "You _actually did it! _Oh, my god!"

"On to round two!" Rise exclaimed, not seeming affected at all by the previous scene.

Somewhat reluctant to continue the game, Minato once again drew.

"Who's the King?"

Souji raised his hand quietly. Chie let out a breath. "Phew… Someone decent… No crazy orders this time…"

"That's not how it goes! If the last King demanded a smooch, then the next order's gotta be more extreme." Apparently, Yukiko was a stickler for the rules. "Chiiieee, don't be such a party pooper… Ahahahaha!"

"Heyyy! The person who gets picked should have to rest their head on the King's lap."

"Nah, make 'em sit on his lap."

"Oh! Or they could have to hug him!"

"Better than that… A piggyback ride!"

Rise and Yukiko volleyed suggestions between each other for a moment, each option more ridiculous than the last. Minato found himself silently praying he wouldn't be picked. He hadn't minded kissing Teddie's head, but he'd rather not be forced into an intimate, awkward situation with Souji Seta.

Souji actually looked rather uncomfortable with the situation as well. After a few seconds, he sighed. "Number two sits on my lap…"

"…"

"…"

"…_Well_ this was fun, but I just remembered that I have a very important paper to start writing, so I'll be going. Nice to meet you a—"

Before Kasumi could make her not-so-subtle escape attempt, Minato reached out and gripped her wrist. She turned around slowly, a bright red blush on her face. Both Minato and Naoto wore similar expressions that said 'if I have to deal with this, so do you.' He was a bit annoyed that _Kasumi_ was the one picked, but he couldn't exactly figure out why.

"Ugh. I hate you."

"King's word is law, Kasumi~!" Yukiko giggled and pulled her forward. She damn near threw the poor girl onto the equally uncomfortable boy's lap.

"Sorry about them…" He muttered.

The girl remained there for about three seconds before dashing back to her seat.

* * *

><p>'<em>I am going to kill Minato. I swear to every deity ever. He is a dead man. I was home free.'<em>

My face was still burning. I could not believe I had to go through that.

'_I owe Naoto an apology. I should never have made her hang out with these guys. They're all crazy. This is worse than talking to Shinjiro… Well… Maybe not… But it's up there.'_

"Ahahahah, me next! Me! I'm the King! Actually, the Queen!" Unfortunately for everyone with a shred of sanity, Yukiko declared herself the next ruler without even drawing a chopstick. "Alright, then… Let's have someone talk about something really embarrassing that they'd never wanna tell anyone! Hrmmm, let's see… Ah! Naoto-kun! I choose you!" Oh, poor Naoto. My sister, however, didn't look upset in the least.

"She's breaking all the rules… Just ignore her, Naoto."

She waved off Yosuke's concern. I recognized the look in her eyes immediately – it was her 'scheming' look. "No… No, that won't be necessary. One stipulation, though: If I do this, the rest of you must reveal 'something' as well."

So that was her game plan. I tried to hide my smile. Although, she definitely could've been a bit more subtle.

"No particularly embarrassing experiences come to mind… Would discussing my life be fair game? It's the rare situation like this that gives me call to speak of such things."

"Damn… Way to kill the mood…" Yeah, subtlety was not Naoto's strong suit. However, with several members of their group "drunk," she didn't really have to be.

Naoto took a breath, and launched into a well-rehearsed lecture on Shirogane history. I got the feeling she'd been planning that ploy from the moment we started the game. "With the exception of my sister here, the Shirogane family has been detectives for generations now. We lend our powers to the police from time to time. In days gone by, when there were no crime scene investigators, consulting detectives were considered more valuable. Thus, my grandfather still has a strong connection with the police and looks after me, despite my youth and inexperience. But investigators nowadays are well versed in science and medicine, so I must further my studies."

Yosuke frowned. "…That's it? No punch line?"

"Ahem… I fear you might be looking to the wrong person for that."

Despite the fact that Naoto said _literally_ nothing funny, Yukiko burst out into a fit of giggles. "That's sooo embarrassing! Isn't Naoto-kun embarrassing?"

I muttered the same thing as Yosuke as I rubbed my temples. "I wanna go home…"

Without missing a beat, Naoto launched straight into the hard questions. "Well then, it's your turn now. A straight answer, please. What is your true involvement with the murder case?"

"You know, you're so good at killing the mood that it's almost funny…"

Naturally, the drunk black-head answered immediately. "Weeeeell, we go rescuing people who've been kidnapped by jumping into the TV! And theeen, we do stuff like, "Persona!" with our Personas and beat the crap outta Shadows…"

I damn near choked on my drink, coughing violently as I tried to process what was just said. Minato patted my back.

"…Are you making fun of me?" Of course, my dear sister had no knowledge of Personas or Shadows, and glared unamused at the group.

"It's true!" Rise insisted in a slurred voice. "Personaaa!" She jumped up, struck a ridiculous pose, and wobbled a bit, falling back down immediately.

Naoto narrowed her eyes. "…I see now that you had no intention of telling me the truth. But I'm curious… How did you become so inebriated? This isn't alcohol."

"Good one, Naoto!" Yukiko laughed.

I sighed, finally clearing all of the fruit juice out of my system. "No, it's definitely not. We checked with the owner before you all arrived."

"Whooooo cares…. Wheee, I feel so good… Good night…!" Yukiko collapsed onto the bench, apparently passed out. The two remaining rambunctious 'drunks' continued to spout nonsense about carrying on until morning. Naoto looked completely done with this insanity.

"As I said… You haven't been drinking alcohol! Are you a pack of imbeciles!?"

My sister stood sharply, leaving without a goodbye. I glanced at Minato before we both followed her. I tentatively waved goodbye.

Once outside, I bit farewell to Naoto, who was still in a sour mood. She really did think she'd be able to get the truth out of them.

… But did she?

"What the _hell_, Minato!?" As soon as Naoto was out of earshot, I rounded on the boy. "Personas and Shadows?! What _the hell_ is going on?"

He just shook his head. "They were telling the truth."

"Yeah, obviously. They were fake-intoxicated. But… But… if that's really their involvement in the case… I can't tell Nao that! Then I'd have to explain _why_ that's true! But then what exactly is going _on _in Inaba?! Does it have something to do with Tartarus? Does it not? How could it possibly not? I am so confused and upset right now, Minato…" I'd started off loud, but as I continued to speak, my voice dropped in volume. By the end of my little rant, I was mumbling in distress. I rested my head on Minato's shoulder, too tired and stressed to really think about what I was doing.

"…Let's go home."

* * *

><p><strong>September 9<strong>**th**

**Before the Dark Hour**

Souji knew Naoto thought they were crazy. When Yukiko mentioned Personas, he'd gotten upset.

However…

Those two Gekkoukan students… Kasumi Shirogane nearly choked in shock. Minato Arisato appeared, albeit extremely subtly, surprised to hear those terms.

But that would make no sense. The Midnight Channel didn't appear anywhere else except Inaba, as far as he knew. Unless there were other Persona Users elsewhere, which was entirely likely, there was no way for them to recognize those words.

Souji was sure he'd seen Minato before, and he thought he knew where. He had appeared for just a split second in the Velvet room. Igor had said as much before. "_It's not every day we host more than one guest."_

Were Minato and Kasumi involved with Personas? Did they have something to do with the TV World?

…

As he thought, the clock struck twelve.

The change was subtle. His hotel room suddenly adopted a dark atmosphere. He felt that he could see shapes moving out of the corner of his eye, and for a second swore he saw blood on the walls. It was gone as soon as he blinked.

In fact, the way his room felt now reminded him of the feeling he got when he watched the Midnight Channel.

It was strange.

…

Eventually, sleep came.

* * *

><p><em>Next time on <em>The Link

_Kasumi has a birthday?_

_Naoto takes a risk._

_Personas are summoned._

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~<strong>

**I didn't realize how long the Gekkoukan trip would take! **

**Fun fact of the day – brunet = male**

**Brunette = female.**

**I can file that under things high school did not teach me. **

**I don't have a solid grasp on the P4 cast's personalities. Thankfully, most everything I needed this episode was provided for me in the text of the game. Next time, however… **

**College starts in September for me, and I have a busy couple of months ahead of me. My already slow updates might be slower. Then again, they might speed up. Who really knows? **

**(also. I'm editing this at 3:10am. Please forgive any typos, of which I'm sure there's plenty)**


	23. Chapter 22 - Sisters

**~~Author's Note~~  
><strong>

**I'm terrified to write this chapter.**

**If it turns out horrible, just re-write it in your minds. Imagine that I don't suck.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

**September 12****th**

_Green eyes opened slowly at the incessant ringing of an alarm clock. A pale hand slid out from under the covers, reaching for the source of the offending noise. Once the obnoxious noise was silenced, the girl slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. She moved as though in slow motion as she dragged herself out of bed – not unusual for the girl. She wasn't a morning person, after all. _

_She froze momentarily as her gaze rested upon her calendar. The date – September 12__th__ – was circled in red marker, 'BIRTHDAY' written in bold lettering across it. All previous grogginess melted away instantly, and she rushed to get dressed, a huge smile blossoming across her face. She ran a brush through her tangled violet hair - noting that it was finally starting to recover from an unfortunate scissor accident earlier that year – before racing out of her room.  
><em>

_Sliding down the banister like some kind of cool-kid, she sprinted into the kitchen. Her sock-clad feet caused her to skid dramatically to a stop inches away from the counter where her grandfather and sister sat. _

"_Goooooooood morning!" She said excitedly, sitting down next to the blue-haired girl. The two family members returned a curt greeting. "So what're we gonna do today?" _

_The older man glanced at her briefly before returning to the case files scattered in front of him. "_We're_ going to be working." Emphasizing the 'we're', he nodded to Naoto. _

"_Yeah, a huge case just came in. Look, three jewelry stores were hit in the past month alone, and the thief always leaves behin—"_

_Kasumi interrupted with a heavy sigh. All traces of her good mood evaporated instantly as her shoulders sagged. "You both forgot again, didn't you." It wasn't a question. Since the day a few years ago that Naoto started working as a kid-detective, her family started paying less and less attention to her. They weren't abusive or negligent, really. She still got fed, taken to school, and given new clothes to wear. However, dinner conversations became about work, Naoto spent more time in her Grandpa's study than she did in the library with her sister, and for the past several years, they forgot the day Kasumi Shirogane was born.  
><em>

_Her sister looked up sharply. "Kas—"  
><em>

_"Of course you did. Why would I think any differently? I mean, my thirteenth birthday isn't as important as a jewel thief, I guess, but… Still." Before anyone could respond, she rose from the table, and, lacking the energy she had moments before, she slunk back upstairs. _

_She slammed her bedroom door with more force than necessary. With tears pricking the corner of her eyes, she collapsed face-first onto her bed. _

_Minutes passed in total silence, apart from Kasumi's occasional sniffles as she tried her best not to cry. A few moments later, there was a soft knock on the door. She rolled over on her side, facing away from the entry. "Go away."  
><em>

_"Kasumi, let me in." The younger sibling let out a sigh. "I want to apologize." _

"_Then do it from out there!" _

"_You realize that's my room, too." _

"…" _There was silence for a moment, and then the door creaked open slightly. Green eyes glared at gray before Kasumi shuffled back to her previous place on the bed. Naoto entered slowly and shut the door behind her. She stood awkwardly at the bed's side, rubbing her arm.  
><em>

_"Look, Kas… I really am sorry. It's just… I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to really think of anything else…"  
><em>

_The older sibling snorted. "Yeah. I noticed."  
><em>

_"Kasum—"_

"_You've been 'too busy' for _four years, _Nao." She sat up stiffly to face her sister. "And look. I know it's not really your fault that Grampa likes you more. You're the perfect little detective, and I'm the slacker that watches anime and hacks into his computer. It's my fault, but that doesn't mean… That doesn't mean you two can just _forget about me!_" _

"_I haven't forgotten about you!"  
><em>

_"Yeah? Sure looks like it from where I'm standing! When's the last time we hung out, huh? When's the last time we celebrated my birthday?!" _

_Naoto balled her hands into fists, getting angry as her sister's temper rose. "Would you stop trying to play the victim? Stop acting like I've got the perfect life, because I don't!"  
><em>

_The purple-haired girl had slid to her feet and was now glaring down at the shorter girl. "_Playing_ the victim? I don't exactly have to pretend! You're the one literally everyone adores!"  
><em>

_"Do you honestly believe that's true?! I know you're not an idiot, Kasumi, so why don't you use your brain for once?" _

"_Why don't _you _suck up your pride and admit you're wrong?!"  
><em>

_Both were shouting now, and both looked almost ready to cry. The two had never really fought before. "I did! I came here to apologize! You're the one that attacked me!" _

"_Ugh! That's right! It's my fault again! You're impossible. You know what? Fine! You can stay here and play detective with Gramps all you want. I'm DONE WITH IT." _

_With a hurt gasp, Naoto spun on her heel. She barged out of the room without another word, slamming the door shut as she did. _

_Once she left, Kasumi let her tears fall. She screamed, kicked the bed, threw pillows, but nothing made her feel better. _

_About ten minutes after the fight, the bedroom door opened once more, and her grandfather entered the room.  
><em>

_"You here to yell at me, too?" _

_He sighed. "Kasumi, I know you're upset, but—"  
><em>

_"Yeah? But what?" She interrupted with a glare. _

"_You've really hurt Naoto's feelings. You need to apologize to her."  
><em>

_"…You're joking, right? _I_ need to apologize to _her?"_ Laughing bitterly, she turned away from the older man. "It's her fault."  
><em>

_"You know that isn't true. Naoto has been under a lot of stress lately, and she doesn't need her sister yelling at her for something that wasn't her fault."  
><em>

_She groaned. "Naoto this! Naoto that! Naoto's a delicate angel that I must protect at all costs! I'm here, too! I exist, too, damn it! Why don't you just say it? She's the favorite child, and I'm a nuisance. I get it already! And you know what? I'm done!" He tried to stop her tirade, but the teen wasn't having it. She was going to vent four years of suppressed feelings, and nothing was going to stop her. "I hate being the redheaded stepchild of the house. I hate being ignored, and I hate being told to be 'more like my sister!' Because I'm not my sister and I never will be! So I'm done! I'm leaving! I'd rather live on my own than live with people who can't be bothered to remember their own family's birthday! I'll live on the streets if I have to! Anywhere would be better than here!"_

* * *

><p>I opened my eyes with a groan, staring up blankly at my ceiling. "Happy Birthday to me." Struggling out of bed, I wiped the sleep out of my eyes. Something told me that today was going to be a miserable day, like every other September 12th had been.<p>

To be fair, I was the only once responsible for ruining my day, but I couldn't help the bad mood I was always put in. The fight between Naoto and myself was behind us. Today was the three-year anniversary*, after all, and we'd since let it go. That doesn't mean I felt any better about that day, though. Running away from home was the single worst experience in my life. It had been difficult financially - even with the money I 'borrowed' from my grandpa - and emotionally.

"Ah, well. Might as well get today over with…"

* * *

><p>A loud crash was heard throughout the entire dormitory, followed by several muffled curse words. Shinjiro, the only occupant of the lounge at the moment, looked up curiously. He glanced at the kitchen for a moment before shrugging and going back to his magazine.<p>

"Agh, dammit! Why is boiling water so damn hot?!"

The senior recognized Kasumi's voice and frowned. What was she doing with boiling water? He made his way over to the kitchen, where a flour-covered, flustered Kasumi stood in a mess of cake batter. By the looks of things, she'd spilled whatever she'd been trying to bake.

"Oh! Shinjiro-senpai! Sorry, sorry. I'll clean all this up!" Her eyes widened in terror, and Shinjiro remembered what Minato had told him – that she thought he would kill her. He rolled his eyes at that.

"Go clean yourself first."

"Huh? Oh, yeah… Probably would be a good idea…"

When the girl vanished into the bathroom, Shinjiro turned his attention to the mess in front of him. He rolled his eyes again, and set to work wiping up the chocolate disaster.

A piece of paper caught his eye as he scrubbed the gooey batter off the counter. It was a recipe for a chocolate birthday cake.

He raised an eyebrow at that.

* * *

><p>It took longer than I expected to wash the flour out of my hair. By the time I returned to the kitchen, it was already spotless, and Shinjiro was nowhere to be seen.<p>

'_Great,' _I thought dully, '_now he's going to hate me even more for not helping.'_

I sighed for what was probably the millionth time since I woke up. Why did I even think baking that dumb cake was a good idea? Right, because I'm a child who hasn't had a not-store bought birthday cake in years. I felt like crying, or screaming, or doing a combination of the two.

Desperate to take my mind off my depressing thoughts, I fled the dorm. I didn't really have a destination in mind, figuring I could just wander the town until I found something I wanted to do.

The sun was setting by the time I returned home. In the end, I had decided to mope around the shrine all day; a rather boring use of my time, but whatever. The sooner the day ended, the better.

When I entered the lounge, I was surprised to find everyone gathered around the dining table, chatting happily. Even Junpei wore a smile, apparently feeling better about the whole 'Chidori' thing. A delicious, chocolate-y smell permeated the room as well.

At my entrance, everyone turned to face me.

"Heeey, Kasumi-tan!" Junpei waved me over. I blinked, still trying to process what I was seeing. "We were about to start without ya!"

"I… What? Start… what, exactly?"

"Why didn't you tell us it was your birthday, Kasumi-chan?" Fuuka asked, and I nearly choked.

I whipped my head around, staring at everyone in the room in complete shock. "Wh-wh-what? How did you know?"

Chuckling, Mitsuru turned to me. "You can thank Shinjiro for that. He even prepared the cake."

And that's when I noticed the chocolate cake – the same kind I failed to create earlier – sitting in the center of the table. More importantly than that, though, was the senior that still had his back to me.

Shinjiro-senpai threw me a birthday party. Well, I guess it wasn't really a party, but still. _Shinjiro Aragaki _made me a birthday cake and gathered all of my friends. At that point, my brain was struggling to process all that was happening.

Without thinking, I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around the beanie-wearing boy. "Thank you so much!" Tears threatened to spill, but I somehow kept from crying. How embarrassing would that be?

"No big deal…" He mumbled, and sounded almost embarrassed. Weird.

Minato caught my gaze as I sat down, and gave me a small smirk. Something like 'I told you he didn't want to kill you.'

* * *

><p>It was almost midnight, and I still wasn't asleep. I still had a dumb smile plastered on my face. For the first time in years, I had fun on my birthday, all thanks to Shinjiro. Maybe I could befriend him, after all.<p>

Right as I was drifting off, my phone buzzed on my nightstand. I sat up groggily and grabbed it.

Three messages from Naoto Shirogane.

"_Happy Birthday, Kasumi."  
><em>

_"I'm sorry."_

"_Don't worry about me."_

* * *

><p><strong>September 13<strong>**th**

Naoto was determined.

She'd finally figured out how to solve the case, and nothing was going to stop her. She knew that if her sister figured out her plan, there would be hell to pay, and yet she was confident. For whatever reason, she decided to place her trust in Souji Seta. She was putting her life in his hands.

If the pattern held true, Naoto would be targeted after that little stunt she pulled on the television. She needed to know if the killer was still at large, and this was the only way.

"Good morning." She glanced up when the group of teens she'd been waiting for appeared. Souji and four of his friends stood in front of her. "I've been waiting for you all. There's something I need to discuss with you regarding the case."

Yosuke, who always seemed to do the talking, answered her first. "Discuss? Dude, we'll be late if we talk too long… Hey, where's your uniform?"

She took a small breath, trying to steady her ever-increasing nerves. It wouldn't do her any good to chicken out now. "Could you please indulge my current theory on the matter?"

"What is it…?"

"First, as regards commonalities between the victims, all of them were kidnapped before they were murdered. The victims were all locals who had been the focus of recent media attention, becoming suddenly well-known… That is the most likely scenario. I don't believe there's anything intrinsically unique about the victims themselves." Staring them down, she frowned. "…Haven't you all come to the same conclusion?"

Souji nodded. "Yeah, we did."

"Then, allow me to state my point. Will you admit that a number of you fit these identical circumstances? There was a long interval between the second and third deaths in this case. But after I applied the aforementioned criteria, I discovered several similar disappearances had taken place. Yukiko Amagi. Kanji Tatsumi. Rise Kujikawa. All of you disappeared shortly after being shown on TV… Either you escaped death somehow, or you faked your own disappearances in order to divert attention from yourselves… Since some of you had ties to the victims, there came a point where I suspected one of you must be the culprit."

The brunette, Chie, spoke up with indignation. "You thought one of us was the killer?! You can't be serious!"

"This was a prior theory, since discarded. Putting together everything I've learned until this moment, I believe exactly the opposite. You aren't the culprits. You may, in fact, be the only ones with the means to pursue the true perpetrator… Seen as a joining of forces between the rescued, everything falls into place. …Of course, this is all speculation. There is in fact a flaw in the theory. It doesn't account for the third incident… Mr. Morooka's murder. He has never been broadcast on television, and neither did he ever disappear. We must also consider the condition of his corpse. The first two victims are still listed with an unknown cause of death… But Mr. Morooka died of an easily identifiable blunt force trauma to the occipital cranium." Naoto turned away from the group, a barely noticeable scowl appearing on her face. "The police have not satisfactorily resolved this discrepancy, yet they are desperate to close the case. Further action will be necessary to obtain some sort of decisive evidence."

"What do you mean?" One of them asked, but Naoto had no intention of answering.

"Well, whatever the outcome… the evidence should come to light." She began to walk away, speaking one last phrase over her shoulder. "…You said something interesting to me not long ago. This is not a game for me, either…"

* * *

><p><strong>September 15<strong>**th**

I sprawled out on the loveseat in the dorm, lazily watching the weather with the other juniors. Minato was on the chair opposite mine, Yukari and Fuuka sat on one couch, Junpei lay on the other, and Aigis stood behind Minato's chair. The news anchor kept going on and on about the typhoon that was slowly approaching Port Island, Junpei was cracking ridiculous jokes, which we had to explain to Aigis… Everything was peaceful and normal. There had been plans to go to Tartarus, but we'd gone yesterday, and no one really felt like it. So, we were doing nothing.

The peacefulness was interrupted by my cell phone's ringtone. I sighed and dug it out of my pocket, answering without bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"_Kasumi."_ I stiffened at the sound of that voice, one that brought back several unpleasant memories.

"Grandpa? Well, this is a first. What's up?" Standing up so as to not disrupt my friends, I walked towards the door.

"_Has Naoto spoken to you since yesterday morning?" _

I frowned at that. Not surprisingly, he'd called to discuss Naoto. However, his tone worried me. He seemed almost frantic. "Um, no. I haven't heard from her. Why?"

There was silence on the other end for an uncomfortable amount of time.

"…Gramps?"

"_She's disappeared."_

* * *

><p>"Good evening, everyone. I am the Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane!" Golden eyes widened almost manically. The person gestured around the laboratory with a smirk, the sleeves of their over-large lab coat waving away. "Welcome to 'Experiment of the Century: The Genome Project.' I will be experiment<em>er <em>and experimen_tee_ both in a forbidden yet wonderful bodily alteration process!" Their vile smirk twisted into an ecstatic, wicked grin. "You shall witness my departure into a new realm… The moment of a new birth! From the chosen day forth, I shall walk a completely different path in life…! And I will share this glorious occasion, this memorable day, with all of you!"

The smirk was back as they narrowed their gold eyes, staring directly at the viewer. "Do stay tuned."

Souji sighed once the television went dark. "What has he gotten himself into?"

* * *

><p>I nearly dropped the phone. "What the hell are you talking about?"<p>

Time seemed to slow down as my grandfather continued talking, explaining that she hadn't been home since yesterday, and she wasn't answering her cell phone. The police hadn't seen her either.

I hung up without so much as a goodbye, desperately punching in Naoto's number. It rung once…

Twice…

On the third ring, her voicemail answered.

It was as though someone had pressed mute on my world. I couldn't hear anyone. I stared at the last text message Naoto had sent me a couple of days ago.

"Don't worry about me." At the time, I had thought it was strange, but didn't think anything was up when she didn't answer me back. How could I be so stupid? I should've known something was wrong.

My phone slipped from my grasp, clattering to the ground with a dull thud.

Finally, I registered the voices of my friends. "…Kasumi…? What's wrong?"

I stared, wide-eyed at them for a brief moment, barely shaking my head. "I… have to go…"

* * *

><p>"Kasumi!" Yukari gasped.<p>

Minato stood up when the girl dashed out of the dorm. He followed her out quickly, grabbing her wrist. She turned around to glare at him, and he realized with a jolt that there were tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were frantic.

"Let me go!" He didn't budge, staring at her without a word. "Please… It's Naoto…"

That got his attention, and his grip lessened slightly. He tilted his head in a curious motion.

"She's missing, Minato! They can't find her anywhere, and she's not answering her phone, and…" She seemed to realize something, as she began shaking even more. "That dumbass! She was so upset about the case, and I didn't even realize… She's using herself as bait, to prove that the murders are still happening! 'Don't worry about me.' That's why she sent me that… I have to go, Minato. Please."

"Tomorrow. I'll go with you."

"…Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>September 16<strong>**th**

"The police in this town are damn useless."

"Kasumi. Calm down."

I glared at the boy next to me, about to make some angry comment, but I just sighed. I didn't have the energy to be angry at anyone – especially not Minato. "…Mitsuru is going to be angry at us for skipping school, you know."

He shook his head. "They were going to cancel."

"Oh yeah… The typhoon. Guess it was lucky timing for us, then…" Shoving my hands in my sweatshirt pocket, I sighed. "We should head back for today, I guess… Start again tomorrow."

* * *

><p><strong>September 17<strong>**th**

We were walking around the Shopping District again, asking anyone we could about Naoto, but so far, nothing… Not even the police had anything to offer us.

"This is hopeless…" A hand on my shoulder made me jump.

"Don't worry." Minato wore his usual blank expression, but his voice seemed almost warm. I cracked a small smile.

"Yeah…"

At that moment, someone cleared their throat behind us. We turned around, only to come face-to-face with the famous Souji. He tilted his head slightly in greeting. "Hey."

Glancing at Minato briefly, I turned back to him. "Um. Hey?" The boy behind me stiffened, and he seemed almost upset. Weird.

The two stared at each other for a moment while I waited for someone to speak up. Finally, Souji turned back to me. "You're Naoto Shirogane's sister, right?"

"Yeah? S-He's my brother. And you're his friend from school."

His mouth formed a small smirk. "'Friend' might be pushing it. He's hard to get close to."

Chuckling, I nodded. "You're tellin' me. …Do you know where he is?"

There was a small moment of hesitation. "…No."

"You're lying." Minato's cold voice startled me. He continued to stare blankly at Souji with that same attitude about him.

"And what makes you say that?" Crossing his arms, gray-haired boy matched Mina-kun's cold exterior.

I fidgeted nervously, not comfortable with the tension suddenly appearing in the air. "Ladies, please, you're both pretty…"

* * *

><p>Souji didn't know why he felt uneasy around the male Gekkoukan student. Sure, he was quiet and withdrawn, but they were alike in that regard. The incident in the Velvet Room was still bothering him, though. Why was he there? What was he hiding? And why did he keep showing up?<p>

"You know something." When Minato accused him of that, he couldn't say he was surprised. Apparently, the suspicious feeling was mutual.

"Your reasoning?"

The girl, Kasumi, frowned and asked her friend, "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

He turned to her. "Remember the club?"

At that, her eyes widened. "That's right… Then could…" After mumbling to herself for a moment, she turned to gaze evenly at Souji. Her green eyes sparked with a determination that reminded him of Naoto.

"Mister Seta. If you know anything about my brother, I'm begging you to tell me the truth."

He sighed, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "We're trying to find him."

"Then you have some idea what happened to him?"

"…Well. Yes."

She raised an eyebrow. "Weeeell?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Minato's eyes narrowed. "Try us."

"…Follow me."

* * *

><p>I stared curiously at all the people gathered around the table. Souji had escorted us to the food court without so much as an explanation, and had us join his friends. After a few greetings, Rise Kujikawa was the first to speak up.<p>

"Um, so… We're trying to find Naoto-kun, but… I need to know more about him to do so. Do you think you could tell us, Kasumi-senpai?"

"Senpai…?" I grinned at the honorific. "Um, well… Naoto's always been stubborn about cases. He won't let it go until he's satisfied with the answer… Which is probably why he allowed himself to be kidnapped… And… He hates it when people look down on him. He can't take a joke, and he's a really caring individual once you get passed the stoic robot attitude… Is that enough?"

Rise smiled brightly at me. "Yes, thank you! I think I have a clear picture now. We should get going, Senpai." She said that to Souji, and he nodded, standing up. The other Yasogami students rose as well.

"Don't worry. We'll bring your brother back safely."

It took me a second to realize they were just going to leave us. "Whoa, hold on a second! You're taking us with you! There's no way I'm letting you guys go play the hero while we sit here and twiddle our thumbs!"

The kids glanced at each other nervously, and then turned back to us.

"Uh, yeah, that's probably not the best idea." Yosuke muttered. "Besides, you guys don't have any weapons—"

"Who says?" I pulled out the two slender objects wrapped in cloth that I had stored in my messenger bag. It had been Minato's idea to bring our swords and Evokers, saying it was better to be prepared. I included our armor and SEES armband as well, cramming them all in the bag. The swords kinda poked out the top, but they weren't that obvious.

The others were shocked, to say the least – with the exception of Souji, who just arched an eyebrow.

Yosuke stuttered awkwardly, "W-w-well, you don't have glasses, either, sooo…"

"Why would that matter—"

"Wait just a second, Yosuke-kun!" The blond-haired Teddie interrupted. "I always keep few spares lying around, just in case one of you breaks yours!"

Chie hummed in appreciation. "That's awfully smart of you, Ted."

"Yep! Sensei thought it was a good idea!"

I clapped my hands. "Then I guess you don't have an excuse! Onward, then!"

"Wai—"

Shaking his head, Minato stated matter-of-factly, "She's just going to follow you."

"Guess we have no choice, then, huh partner…?" Yosuke sighed. "This is going to go so wrong."

* * *

><p>I glanced at Minato, and then back at the television in front of us. We had changed into our battle gear – which consisted of armor under our school uniforms – and had our SEES bands around our arms. We were ready for anything.<p>

Except maybe being told to jump in a TV.

Sure, I'd heard what the pseudo-drunk Yukiko had told us earlier, but that didn't change the fact that it was absolutely ridiculous.

Souji had told us to get ready, and then meet him here. The others were nowhere to be found. I half expected him to ditch us here, to be honest.

"Ready?" He asked.

"As I'll ever be, I guess." I tightened my grip on my bag. Minato just nodded.

"Good." The next few seconds were a blur. The gray-haired boy grabbed my arm, pulled me forward, and suddenly, I was falling forward. I expected to hit the ground almost immediately, but we kept falling for at least thirty seconds. The world around me was so blurred, I couldn't tell where I was exactly.

When we hit the ground, I went sprawling forward, unprepared for the sudden impact. Minato and Souji, however, remained standing. Souji helped me stand, and I looked around in awe.

"Whoa. We actually fell through the TV…" All around us was thick fog, so thick in fact, that I could barely make out anything apart from odd structures rising around us and an odd pattern on the floor.

"Oh yeah! Here are you glasses, Kas-chan!"

I nearly fell over in shock when an animated stuffed teddy bear waved a pair of glasses in front of my face. Because of the fog, I hadn't seen the strange thing approach. The voice was familiar, though. "Uh… Teddie?"

"That's right! What do you think of my adorable true form, Kas-chan?"

Blinking, I took the glasses from his… paw. "Kas-chan…?" Once I put on the silver-framed eyewear, the world instantly cleared. The fog practically disappeared. "Wow! I can see why you said these were necessary!"

"And one for you, Minato-kun!" Teddie passed a blue pair to Minato, who seemed only mildly impressed by them, and not at all surprised by the bear costume.

"All right!" Rise pulled a determined face. "I'm gonna scan for Naoto-kun. It won't take me long, so be ready to follow me."

I realized what she was going to do moments before it happened. The word 'scan' tipped me off immediately, not to mention the fact that they'd mentioned Personas before.

Her Persona must've had the same abilities as Fuuka's, but instead of completely encasing her, the shape of the woman merely covered her eyes with a visor.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Souji watching us, apparently gauging our reaction. When we didn't freak the hell out, his eyes widened curiously.

"I found him!"

* * *

><p>The trip through the Television World was certainly strange. However, it was not unlike wandering around Tartarus. Excluding the fog, both places felt exactly the same to me. The feeling of constantly being watched was there, along with the constant weight on your chest and feeling of impending danger.<p>

We arrived at what looked like some kind of bunker, surrounded by trees like a secret base. The place somehow reminded me of Naoto.

"What is this place…?" Kanji looked around in wonder.

"It's all sci-fi…" said Yosuke, "Heyyy, doesn't it remind you of those secret hideouts in live action shows?"

"Oh yeah…"

The kids went of on a mini-tangent about science fiction and underground bases, while Minato and I watched on.

After a second, I cleared my throat to get their attention. "So, Naoto's in there?"

"Uh, that's right… But it's probably best if you wait out here."

I ignored Yosuke's 'advice' and marched up to the entrance. "Well? What are you waiting for, an invitation?"

Everyone stepped inside, although they looked like they had their doubts.

The moment we stepped foot inside the base, a metallic voice blared at us through invisible speakers.

"_UNKNOWN INTRUDER DETECTED INSIDE FACILITY. THREAT LEVEL: YELLOW. DEPLOYING GUARDS INSIDE FACILITY. WARNING! WARNING! ATTENTION INTRUDERS! LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY! I REPEAT: LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY!"_

"Intruders? When it says 'guards'…" I trailed off as something creeping along the hallway towards us caught my attention. It's shape was shockingly familiar. A Shadow.

"Kasumi, be careful!"

The thing initiated combat before I could blink.

I'd seen Shadows that looked exactly like this one wandering around Tartarus. It was a Constancy Relic – an odd-looking statuesque creature – and I knew just how to deal with it.

I grabbed my Evoker out of my bag, bringing it to my temple as I'd done so many times. The others behind me, even Souji, looked horrified. I couldn't help but smirk as I remembered the first time I'd seen Minato do the same thing. "Hestia, come!" Before I could squeeze the trigger, I felt the familiar shattering sensation, and the cloaked woman appeared before me. My Persona had manifested without being evoked. That was odd, but when I thought back, I realized Rise had done the same thing.

Hestia waved her lantern, and a blast of fire knocked the thing to the ground. I was about to run up and finish it off when I sensed another presence to my right. Before I could react, Minato summoned one of his many Persona, defeating it and the first one in a flash.

"Hah. Thanks for the assist." Storing my now unnecessary Evoker, I turned back towards the group.

"No problem."

"They're Persona-users?!" Yukiko gasped, while Yosuke glared at us.

"Why didn't you tell us?! Could've saved us a lot of stress!"

I laughed at their expressions. With the exception of Souji, who wore an 'I knew it' face, they were all thoroughly amazed. "I really wanted to see the look on your faces. Now. Let's go save my brother."

It was decided that Souji would lead one team, consisting of him, Yukiko, Chie, and Kanji, while Minato took Yosuke, Teddie, and myself. Rise would provide support to Souji's group, and Teddie would act as our support. We would split up and explore as quickly as we could. Once again, I was struck by how similar everything was to exploring Tartarus, down to the four-person teams.

The only difference was the stairs. Instead of climbing up an endless number of stairs, we climbed down each time, going deeper into the earth.

Every time we reached a new floor, the same message would play. "WARNING! WARNING! ATTENTION INTRUDERS! LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY! I REPEAT: LEAVE THE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY!"

When we'd reached floor B3, I sighed as the message finished playing. "That's just like Naoto, trying to push people out all the time."

We met up with the other team on floor B4, where a new message sounded.

"UNKNOWN INTRUDERS HAVE ARRIVED AT B4F. THREAT LEVEL: ORANGE. MAJOR FACILITY AREAS LOCKED. ELIMINATE THE INTRUDERS."

As the robotic voice suggested, we found a locked door that we were forced to ignore as we continued searching. We continued to descend, battling our way through the hoards of Shadows.

Yosuke and Teddie were amazed when they first witnessed Minato's Persona-Switching ability, but not for the reason I expected. According to them, Souji possessed the same power. Minato frowned at this, a pensive look covering his face. After a moment, he shook his head and ushered us onward.

We had made it to B6, after stopping for a few breaks. As we walked through the eerie green halls, I couldn't help but compare it to Tartarus again.

"Hey, Mina-kun?"

"Hm."

"This place and Tartarus have to be connected, right?" I ignored the others' question of 'what's Tartarus,' and awaited his answer.

"Most likely."

Frowning, I ran my hand along the wall. "I wonder… Maybe this is part of Tartarus… A part we haven't explored yet."

"It's a possibility."

We lapsed back into silence again. A bold Shadow tried to attack us, but it was soon destroyed.

Finally, we found our path blocked by a huge metal door that we apparently needed a 'Leader' key card to access. We spread out across the floor, searching for anything helpful.

"Hey, Kasumi." Yosuke spoke up as the two of us wandered down one hall. "I've been meaning to ask… What's up with that armband? What's SEES?"

I glanced at the red cloth around my arm. "Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad! SEES for short. It's our job to defeat Shadows."

"Huh." He nodded thoughtfully, then frowned as something occurred to him, "Oh, but where do you fight them, if you don't know about the TV World? Do Shadows appear in the real world, too?" He looked rather frightened at the prospect.

"Well… There's this tower called Tartarus that appears…" I noticed Yosuke was growing more confused, and I sighed. "I'll tell all of you about it when we rescue Naoto."

"Right."

* * *

><p>We stood in front of the door that led to the 'Research Area.' After having searched B6 high and low, our team sought out Souji's for advice. They told us they'd discovered a 'Research key card' on the 6th floor, and I suggested we try it out here.<p>

Not surprisingly, the card unlocked the door, and the seven of us entered.

What waited for us beyond that door was rather surprising. A Shadow in the form of a giant robot stopped us, blocking our path.

The thing certainly knew how to hit. Every chance it got, it would charge up, and then hit all of us with devastating blow. I discovered that Yukiko was a talented healer, so she filled the support role. The rest of us attacked it with everything we had. Between the six of us, we weakened it quickly.

"Wow. We should start bringing more people to the Full Moon fights, too, don't'cha think, Mina?"

"It'd be helpful."

The robot stopped attacking us after a while, electing to just stand there and gaze at us coldly. Though its behavior was suspicious, we didn't relent in our attacks. I ran forward and slashed at its knees with my blade. Before I could retreat, though, I noticed that its form was shaking. "Uhhh…"

Without warning, the Shadow exploded. We were all knocked to the ground by the force of the blast, and I was seeing spots.

"Oww…"

"Is everyone okay?" Someone – I couldn't tell who – cast a healing spell over all of us. I stood up shakily.

"Well that was interesting."

* * *

><p><strong>September 18<strong>**th**

Once again, we stood in front of a locked door. The key card we'd gotten from the Dominating Machine the day before was clutched in Souji's hand.

I had fought tooth and nail against leaving yesterday, saying we couldn't possibly leave Naoto in there for another day. However, I had to admit that I was exhausted. Not only that, but the entire team was running low on juice. Minato eventually convinced me that if I wanted to save Naoto, I had to be in top form, and to do that I needed to rest.

I really hate it when he's right.

The area we entered next was called 'Classified Sector Two,' as the security system was kind enough to tell us. The Shadows were much more difficult than before. We even ran into smaller versions of that obnoxious robot.

We had two more floors to battle our way through, until we finally reached the bottom. I was getting desperate. I wanted to find my sister and make sure she was safe, and I wanted to destroy the person that tried to kidnap her.

Finally…

Finally, we reached the eighth floor.

The place looked like some kind of twisted Sci-Fi horror set. On the far wall, a demented operating table lay, with a giant buzz saw and drill hovering above it. More twisted, terrifying machinery was scattered throughout the room, but that's not what drew my attention.

My sister stood with her back towards us, glowering at… my sister. Another version of Naoto stared back at us. She had gold eyes and a wicked grin. An oversized lab coat draped her form, and the same blue hat remained perched on her head. Last night, Souji had explained the concept of Shadows that came from humans to us, so I was expecting this. It was still a shock, though.

"Naoto!" I gasped as we ran in.

"Ah, it's about time you arrived—" as she turned to greet us, she started slightly. "Kasumi, what are you… Never mind. Let's go. Dealing with this child has been quite a pain…"

The Other Naoto spoke up in a voice that was hers and yet not hers. It had the same tone, but was warped and high pitched. "No! No, no, don't go!"

My sister just glared. "It's useless speaking to you. I need to go back now."

"Why? Why're you leaving me here!? Why am I always left alone!? It's so lonely… I don't wanna be alone!" I stiffened at those words. Hearing that from Naoto, even her doppelganger, hurt. If what the others told me was true, those were Naoto's inner feelings…

"You wear the same face as me…" Our Nao balled her hands into fists. "It's as if you're implying we're one and the same. But the difference between me and you is—"

"Why delude yourself? I am you." The childish edge disappeared from the doppelganger's voice, and the playful expression morphed into a more frightening glare. "These childish gestures are no mere affectation… They're the truth. The fools all say it, don't they…? 'You're only a child,' 'Keep out of our business, kid,' and so forth. No matter how many cases you spend hours cogitating over, no matter how many crimes you solve, you're a child in their eyes. It's your brain they're interested in. The grey matter locked up in that skull. As long as they need it, you're an ace detective! But once you're done, it's back to the playpen with you. You haven't the means to deal with society's two-faced nature… You're just a lonely child, abandoned even by your dear sister."

I couldn't breathe, or move, or speak. I could only watch in horror as I listened to Naoto's Inner Self.

"I wanna be a grown-up… I wanna be a big boy right now… Then they'll see who I am… I… I want a reason for me to stay…" Again, the Shadow's voice took on a childish tone as it mocked it's double.

"That's enough." Naoto snapped, but her face held pain. "I can find my own reason for living."

"Hah… I'm telling you that's impossible. You are but a child. How can you change that essential truth?"

"S-stop it!"

The Shadow took another step forward with a malicious smile. "At your core, you admire the sort of 'strong' and 'cool' men who populate detective fiction. But in trying to emulate them, you must know that in truth, you're nothing of the sort-you're a child. There's no avoiding first principles… Admit that you're a child, and admit that there's nothing you can do about it." It continued it's slow approach, golden eyes never leaving hers. The blood drained from Naoto's face. "Now then! Our analysis is complete. Let us begin the body alteration procedure. You have no objections, do you… '_Naoto'_ Shirogane?"

"Stop it!"

I wanted to help her, to stop all of this, but I still couldn't move. The things I was hearing were hurting me just as much as her. All of the pain she felt, and I never understood any of it…

"'Naoto'… Such a cool, manly name! But a name doesn't change the truth. It doesn't let you cross the barrier between the sexes."

And there was the bombshell. Around me, the others let out gasps.

"How could you become an ideal man when you were never male to begin with…?"

Yosuke choked, stuttering out, "Wait, what…? Did he… Did I hear that right?!"

"H-He's not a guy?!" Kanji looked like he was losing his cool. Were they really that surprised?

"Did you know, Kasumi?!"

"Wha- Of course I knew! Why wouldn't I know?!"

Before us, Naoto was tensed up. "I won't throw a tantrum. That accomplishes nothing...!"

The Shadow laughed maniacally. "Hahahaha! How often I've heard those words from the adults. 'Throwing a tantrum won't solve anything, Naoto-kun,' and other such bilge! They made you cry, didn't they? Yet here you are, mimicking those same men. What exactly are you trying to justify?"

"What…?"

"It's all right. You needn't suffer anymore. That's why you're undergoing this body alteration procedure to begin with. You throw a tantrum, but it fails to change the situation a single bit… I can quite understand the feeling." It's gaze narrowed into a smug smirk. "After all… I am you."

"That's not true!"

"Don't say it!" Chie stepped forward slightly, but Kanji stopped her.

"It's okay… Let the kid spill the whole thing. If not, Naoto's just gonna keep hurting… We'll just do our job and kick the Shadow's ass. Yeah?" I stared at the bleach-blond boy in appreciation. He had Naoto's best interests at heart, and unlike the idiot me frozen in place, he could do something.

To my right, I felt Minato gently pat my shoulder, as if he knew what I was thinking.

The Shadow continued to laugh at us. "As if you know anything about me! You'll kick my ass, huh? Fine… Go ahead and try, you lizard-brained imbecile!"

And with that, the Shadow revealed it's true form. The creature rose from the ground as robotic wings sprouted from it's back. The entire thing shifted, grew, and changed until a giant, cyborg version of Naoto hovered before us. Even as shocked as I was, I could appreciate its mildly humorous nature.

"I am a Shadow… The True Self…" The thing taunted us as the _real_ Naoto collapsed on the floor. I dodged an attack from the Shadow and sprinted to her side. She was barely conscious as I knelt down next to her.

"Kas…umi… What are you doing here…?"

"I wasn't going to abandon you here, you dumbass! Why didn't you tell me—"

Before I could finish, I heard someone else call my name in warning. A strong blast of something – couldn't exactly see what - hit me square in the chest, blasting me a few feet backwards. I skidded to a halt and slowly picked myself up. "Damn it… I'm gonna kill that monster."

Whatever that thing hit me with somehow sealed my Persona, so I settled on slashing it with all my strength.

The Shadow danced out of my reach and glared down at me. "No, no, that will never do. Patients must lie still for me to drill proper holes in them."

"God, just shut up!"

I wasn't surprised that the Shadow was intelligent enough to target our weaknesses – after all, it was Naoto's. Still, getting continually blasted with Garu skills was getting seriously irritating.

"Ugh… Why must you struggle so much? Why won't you lie down and die!? You children can't do anything at all!" It redoubled its efforts after we wore it down quite a bit, but in the end, we were able to bring it down. It fell as I stabbed it through the chest, reverting back to its first form.

I wasted no time in running back to Naoto's side. At some point during the battle, she'd lost consciousness, and was slowly coming to.

"So… Naoto-kun was a girl…" Chie remarked quietly. I nodded.

"Took you guys long enough to figure that out."

Naoto stirred in my arms, gray eyes slowly opening. "Ngh… Where am I…?"

"Are you awake?!" Yukiko gasped as everyone crowded around us.

"I remember you all arriving, and… That's right… You saw everything…" Sighing, she glanced at me for a moment. I gave a weak, reassuring smile. "…Kasumi and I… lost our parents in an accident ten years ago. We were still young, so our Grandfather took us in. Neither of us were adept at making friends… We spent most of our time in the library together. While Kas preferred manga or adventure stories, I read detective novels…"

A quiet, childish voice chimed in. The weakened Shadow spoke, "When I grow up… I'm gonna be an awesome, hard-boiled detective…!"

"My parents were proud of their job. I had no qualms about following in their footsteps… An inherited occupation can feel stifling to many, but I welcomed it. I yearned for the day I could be a detective myself… Perhaps I inherited that desire from them as well. …Kasumi and I both liked detective work. We helped solve one rather difficult case for our grandfather… But I received all the credit and praise from him… That drove a wedge between Kasumi and I, and she ended up running away from home a few years after…"

At that, I stiffened, staring down at the floor in shame.

"After that, I was alone... Always alone… I continued to aid my grandfather with his clients… I had earned the name Junior Detective. In the beginning, I was delighted, but as time went on… Not everything went so smoothly…"

"What was that you said about 'you're only a child…'?" Yukiko asked gently.

"Not everyone welcomes my collaboration when it comes to solving cases… My status as a 'child' was sufficient to offend many of those whom I worked with. Were that the only issue, then it would have resolved itself with time…" Carefully, Naoto began to rise. I stood along with her, helping her to her feet. She turned to stare at her Shadow. "But though I will one day change from a child to an adult, I will never change from a woman to a man…"

"Do you not like being a girl…? Is that why you always dress like a boy?"

Naoto sighed. "My sex doesn't fit my ideal image of a detective… Besides, the police department is a male-oriented society. If they had the slightest 'concrete' reason to look down on me, no one would need me anymore…"

"Hey…" Yukiko approached us. "You must know already that what you yearn for isn't to become an adult or become a boy…"

At her words, my sister froze for a moment, then a small smile appeared on her face. "…You're absolutely right." She stepped forward until she was directly in front of the Shadow. "I'm sorry… I kept ignoring you, pretending you didn't exist. But you are me… and I am you. You've always been inside me. What I should yearn for… No, what I must strive for isn't to become a man. It's to accept myself for who I really am…"

The Shadow nodded, gold eyes softening for a moment, before it was encased in a cool blue light. It changed forms again, but instead of a terrifying robot monster, a small, moth-like Persona appeared for a moment, before the blue light surrounded Naoto. It hovered around her like a halo for a few seconds, then sinking into her skin.

"Nao…" I whispered to myself, desperately holding back tears.

She turned to face all of us again. "In any event, you're a devious bunch… I can't believe you kept something like this hidden for so long… Even you two, Kasumi and Minato. Haha… No wonder the perpetrator has eluded the police. But it's apparent now… This case is far from over."

Before anyone else could speak, the tears I had tried to hold back overflowed, streaming down my face in a torrent.

"K-Kasumi, why are you crying?" Naoto stared at me worriedly. I stumbled forward and wrapped my arms around her.

"I'm so, so sorry… I'm sorry…"

"…What…"

In the background, I heard Souji say something about giving us a bit of privacy, and that we should meet them at the exit. I silently thanked him.

I moved my glasses so I could rub at my eyes, wiping away some of the tears that wouldn't stopped flowing. "I'm so sorry, Naoto…"

"Come now, Kas… There's nothing to apologize for. You rescued me, didn't you?" She gently patted my back.

"That's… That's not it…" I took a breath to steady my breathing and voice. "I've been so stupid all this time… I never listened to you, did I? Three years ago you tried to tell me how much suffering you went through, but I never listened. All these years, I only ever paid attention to how I felt. I thought I was the only one left alone, but I wasn't. I pushed you away over something so trivial… You had to deal with so much just to achieve your dream, but I yelled at you and accused you of such terrible things… You were just as lonely as me, but I just…" My hands gripped the back of her shirt as I continued to sob. Naoto returned the hug, and I realized that she had begun crying as well.

"It's not all your fault, Kasumi… I pushed you away, too… Heh, I guess we're both pretty pitiful, huh?"

After a moment, I pulled away, finally able to stop my tears. I beamed at her. "You know, it was pretty crazy, getting yourself kidnapped like this… But I should thank you. You helped me realize something that had been bothering me. When Mitsuru-senpai and the others asked me to join SEES and fight Shadows, I agreed because I wanted to protect people I cared about. Like you… But lately, I found myself wondering if that was true. I wondered if I was just bored, or if I wanted to show off. I couldn't figure out my reason for fighting."

I took a deep breath and straightened out my armband with pride. "But now I found it again. There are people like us all over the world who feel alone and abandoned. I don't want them to give in to Apathy Syndrome. I want them to know how wonderful it is to have friends that care about you. I want you to be happy, Naoto, and for everyone else to be as well. I don't want anyone to fall into despair… That's why I'm going to keep fighting…"

I couldn't explain the feeling that filled my chest at that moment. If I had to describe it, I suppose I'd call it _resolve. _Or maybe, _hope_ was the better word.

Hestia, my Persona appeared between us for a moment, looking down at me with her glowing eyes. Then, she disappeared in a flash of light, and what stood before me was a young woman in a yellow-golden robe. Two shimmering white wings wrapped halfway around her form, and her short golden-brown hair floated around her serene face. The glowing eyes were the same.

_The resolution in Kasumi's heart has awakened a new Persona…_

_Hestia has given rise to Elpis. _

"Hey, Naoto. Let's get you home."

* * *

><p><strong>~~Author's Note~~<br>**

**It's finally done… And hopefully not too terrible…**

**Not the best but it gets the job done. **

**Kas's new persona, Elpis, is the spirit of hope in Greek mythology.  
><strong>

**Now maybe you're thinking to yourself that it's too early for the new Personae, and to that I say "naaaaaaaaah"**

**Aki and Ken are getting theirs next month, so ya know.**

**And also, that's literally the perfect opportunity. And it's one of the few plot points I carefully thought out. **

**Anywho. Next time they have mysteries to solve whee.**

*** I think I've mentioned in previous chapters that it had been 3 years since the fight. That was just rounding up, since saying it had been 2 years and a handful of months would've been awkward, and saying 2 years didn't sound right to me. **


End file.
